Names not previously encountered in the UK van market popped up all over the place at this year's CV Show, including BYD, Foton and Chery. With marginally more of a track record in the sector – it exhibited last year – Farizon was present too.
Presumably working on the basis that if you can't beat them, join them, Ford was displaying the new, Chinese-made, purpose-built electric Transit City. It has arrived thanks to Ford's connection with China's Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC).
Ford and JMC have links that go back three decades, with JMC having assembled Transits for the Chinese domestic market.
An addition to Ford's current line-up, and scheduled to arrive in dealerships towards the end of the year, Transit City sits alongside E-Transit Custom, which will remain available.
Not that the Chinese were having it all their own way at the annual event, held as usual at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre.
South Korea's Kia was reinforcing its growing presence in the electric sector, while Iveco chose the show for the UK launch of the quirkily-named electric eJolly and eSuperJolly light commercials. Last year saw Italy's Iveco acquired by India's Tata Motors.
Electric van sales were increasing at the time of writing. The bad news for vehicle manufacturers is that they were taking a market share of just over 11% according to figures compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) – less than half of the 24% mandated by government for 2026 if they are to avoid eye-wateringly steep fines.
More than half of light commercials offered for sale in the UK are available with an electric option, the SMMT points out, backed by substantial manufacturer discounts and the government's Plug-in Van Grant – but still-high upfront costs and infrastructure challenges remain barriers to greater uptake. On the face of it the dramatic increase in diesel costs in the wake of the Middle East crisis ought to prompt more operators to go electric – but electricity in this country is notoriously expensive too when compared with the prices charged in other Western countries.
Not surprisingly, the SMMT wants the government to revisit the mandate as a matter of urgency – and ensure that it reflects marketplace realities.
Ford Transit City
Ford's new, front-wheel-drive, Chinese-built Transit City van is available in L1H1 and L2H2 van guise. The former can handle a payload of up to 1,085kg with a 6.4m3 load bay-while the latter can haul up to 1,275kg and offers 8.5m3 of cargo space. Transit City is also produced as a chassis cab.
A 56kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery and a 110kW electric motor are standard on all models. Anticipated range between recharges is almost 160 miles.
Using a DC fast-charger should enable the battery to be replenished from 10% to 80% of its capacity in just over 30 minutes, says Ford. Plug it in for 10 minutes and you will boost the range by just over 30 miles, it adds.
Farizon V7E
China's Farizon chose the 2026 show to give its medium-sized electric V7E van its UK debut. Slotting in below the larger SV, which appeared at the 2025 exhibition, it comes with a 6.95cu m load area and a 1,338kg payload capacity.
Customers can choose between two batteries – 50kWh or 67kWh – with a quoted potential range of 295 miles.
Changes have been made to SV in the light of customer feedback. They include the introduction of Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay, a steering wheel alterable for reach and rake, a six-way-adjustable driver's seat and security improvements – greatly needed in the UK given the high level of theft from light commercials.
BYD Dolphin Cargo e-Van
Based in China, BYD was exhibiting buses at the show, but its Dolphin Cargo e-Van was on the Mediafleet stand.
Derived from the Dolphin hatchback car, it features a 1.0m3-plus cargo area, a purpose-built load bed, and a bulkhead positioned behind the front seats. Quoted range between recharges is a healthy 347 miles.
Chery Commercial Vehicle Delivan
Chinese manufacturer Chery Commercial Vehicle rolled out its electric Delivan brand for the first time at the show.
Details of its precise plans for the UK market were somewhat sketchy, with a lot of talk about concepts but very little revealed about practicalities such as load cube, payload capability, ranges or charging times. It is setting up a base in Liverpool however and aims to have a line-up of medium to large vans on sale in here during the first quarter of 2026.
Foton Cavan
A line-up of made-in-China electric Foton Cavan vans was on display courtesy of importer International Motors, which also distributes light commercials – pick-ups especially – made by Isuzu, GWM and Mitsubishi.
Cavans come with a load cube of from 6.7m3 to 8.4cu m depending on the version with a choice of two batteries: 50.2kWh or 66.7kWh. Quoted range is 200 miles and the newcomers could go on sale later in the year.
Iveco eJolly/eSuperJolly
Iveco used the show to herald its arrival in the electric medium van market with the eJolly.
Grossing at 2.8 to 3.2 tonnes, it offers a load cube of up to 6.6m3 and a payload capacity of up to 1,175kg. Claimed range is up to 271 miles.
Its larger eSuperJolly electric stable-mate boasts a load area of up to 17m3, can move cargo weighing up to 1.4 tonnes, and has an anticipated 260-mile range.
If they both look vaguely familiar then that is because they have been brought in from the Stellantis stable and are marketed under a variety of other brand names. Iveco justifies the use of the 'Jolly' and 'Super Jolly' names by pointing out that they were borne by Lancia light commercials sold in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s.
Isuzu D-Max Electric
Last year saw Isuzu UK exhibit an electric D-Max 4x4 pick-up. This year the right-hand drive version made its show debut – UK deliveries have just started.
The battery-powered 4x4 D-Max EV is up for grabs with either a four-door double-cab or a two-door extended cab. Payload capability is in excess of a tonne and it can tow a 3.5-tonne trailer.
A 66.9kWh battery is fitted with an expected 164-mile range between recharges. Plug it into a rapid DC charger and you should be able to increase the charge in the battery from 20% to 80% of its capacity in an hour, says Isuzu.
KGM Musso EV
Visitors who went onto the KGM stand last year expecting to see an electric pick-up were doomed to disappointment. It failed to arrive.
The lack was remedied this year however by the appearance of the South Korean manufacturer's battery-powered Musso EV double-cab 4x4 with an expected range of up to 240 miles.
At a modest 690kg, the payload capacity is too low to enable businesses to reclaim VAT. Opt for one as your company transport however and your commercial vehicle Benefit-In-Kind liability will start at a mere £30, says the importer.
Kia
Kia is continuing to extend its electric light commercial line-up, and the latest arrivals were highlighted on its stand. Two new PV5 Cargo variants – L1/H1 and L2/H2 – were making their European debuts.
The former comes with a 4.0m3 cargo bay and can transport up to around 800kg. The latter boasts a 5.2m3 load space and the ability to shift approximately 630kg. Estimated ranges are up to 250 miles and over 230 miles respectively.
One exhibit that caught the eye was a compact tipper based on a PV5 chassis cab. Kia now has a number of UK conversion partners including CoolKit, TGS, Modul-System and GM Coachwork.
Fiat Professional TRIS
Light commercials don't have to have four wheels.
Perched on the Stellantis Pro One stand was a battery-powered Fiat Professional TRIS three-wheeler with an anticipated 56-mile range – not enormous, agreed, but probably all you really need if you spend your entire day delivering packages and parcels around a city centre.
As indicated elsewhere, Stellantis encompasses a number of light commercial brands, including Vauxhall, Citroen and Peugeot as well as Fiat Professional. Each one of them boasts a range of electric vans, and Stellantis supplies battery models to Toyota and more recently to Iveco too.
MellowVans
Not to be outdone by TRIS, South Africa's MellowVans was exhibiting an electric three-wheeler also designed for last-mile delivery work. With a claimed range of around 70 miles it can carry up to 380kg in a 2.0m3-plus cargo area.
In brief
In a return to the car-derived van market, Ford was exhibiting a commercialised version of the electric five-door Explorer. With an anticipated range of over 370 miles, and a 1.3m3 cargo area accessed by doors on each side and a rear hatch, Explorer Van can handle a 650kg payload.
About to go into series production, the Chinese-built Maxus battery-powered eDeliver 75 7.5-tonner was displayed on the Harris Maxus stand. The electric eTerron 9 four-wheel drive pick-up was present too, on an unusual indoor off-road demonstration course.
Yutong distributor Pelican decided not to exhibit in its own right at the show, but the Chinese electric Yutong TE7 7.5-tonner was there nevertheless. Unladen chassis cab weight is under 3.0 tonnes, maximum range is an expected 180-miles-plus, and customers can choose either a 100kWh or a 132kWh battery.
