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Farizon aims to re-write the rules for what affordable electric compact van should be with this LCV, the V7E. You might be surprised by just how much you might want one.
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Background
The Far East has been ramping up its presence in the van market this decade. First there was Maxus. Then Kia, Chery and the subject here, Farizon. Here's their entry-level model, the V7E.
All these brands aren't playing by the established van segment rules, launching products that blur the boundaries between small, medium and large LCVs. Chinese maker Farizon seems particularly adept at this. Their first product, the SV, was a large electric van for the price of a medium-sized one. The second, this V7E, our subject here, is a medium-sized van for the size of a small one.
So far, so disruptive. Kia recently tried the same trick with their first van product, the PV5, which looks good but falls down on payload capacity. The V7E doesn't make that mistake, looks good, comes well equipped and is very tightly priced. Where's the catch? We're going to find out.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 28000 | 30500 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 14950 | 14950 |
| Length (mm) | 4995 | 4995 |
| Min | Max |
| Width (mm) | 2206 | 2206 |
| Height (mm) | 1985 | 1985 |
| Load Volume (l) | 7 | 7 |
| Payload Capacity (l) | 1338 | 1338 |
Driving experience
There's no start button: you just have to engage drive and off you go. The V7E is front-driven and is offered with either a 50kWh battery or a 67kWh battery. The smaller powerpack gives you up to 149 miles of range, with the larger pack delivering up to 204 miles. Either way, you get a front-mounted electric motor with 150PS and 230Nm of pulling power. Farizon claims that this van is manoeuvrable in city but the turning circle isn't very tight, quoted at 12-metres. In town, you'll appreciate the light steering, though that might not be quite as welcome beyond the city limits. There's nothing very sophisticated about the suspension, but a live axle with coil springs is what you'd expect in this class.
What you might not expect from an electric van in this segment is up to 1.24-tonnes of braked payload. Also unusual in this class are features like adaptive cruise control and rear cross traffic alert, both extremely useful on a van of this kind. In all there are no fewer than 14 driver assistance systems, but some of them are a bit intrusive, so you'll have to get used to switching the more irritating ones off. The door mirrors are rather small and don't have a wide-angle view insert, but they do at least have standard blind spot indicators and there's an excellent 360-degree surround view camera system (also fitted as standard) along with all-round sensors to make inner city parking easier.
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Design and build
If your idea of how the van of the future should look is something like a Tesla Cybertruck, then you'll approve of the way this V7E has been styled. The avant-garde headlights are unusual, the windscreen is more steeply raked than you'd expect with a van on the nose is super-short and sharply cut off. There's not much any van designer can do with the boxy profile needed for an LCV, but this Farizon sports a set of trendy aero covers over its 16-inch steel wheels. Only a single L1H1 body shape is being offered, which is fine, but the brand has missed a trick by not offering a high roof option.
Another product planning mistake becomes obvious when you take a seat in the cab, which lacks the useful two-person passenger bench fitted to most rivals, strange because the V7E offers this feature in other markets. Farizon doesn't even offer this as an option in the UK - which needs to change. Otherwise, you might initially quite like the interior with its rectangular 7-inch instrument screen and big 12.3-inch central infotainment monitor. Unusually in a Chinese product, there are physical ventilation controls (though when you use the centre-mounted 'phone holder, you might have trouble reaching them).
You might wish for more padding (and height adjustment) on the driver's seat - and for storage beneath it. The instrument cluster's on-board computer doesn't tell you much, but there are coat hooks on the A-pillars and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for the centre screen - though both systems need a wire. Tough wipe-clean services abound, as do storage cubbies, though because few of them are rubber-lined, small stuff in the plastic trays tends to slide and rattle about.
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Market and model
V7E prices from launch and at the time of our test in Spring 2026 were starting from £28,000 ex-VAT - for the base 50kWh version. It's £30,500 for the 67kWh variant you'll probably want. Either way, there's just one body shape (L1H1) and a single standard wheelbase length and roof height. Basically, this is the kind of money you'd pay for a small electric van with a lot less carriage space and payload than this one. Kia's PV5 Cargo costs much the same but can't match this Farizon model's payload capacity.
The Chinese maker hasn't compromised on specification either. With either battery, there's just a single and very high standard of spec. This includes LED automatic headlights with intelligent high beam control, along with keyless entry, an over-speed alarm, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control and all-round parking sensors with a 360-degree surround view camera. Practical features that some other brands make you pay extra for include sliding doors on both sides and a rear door that opens ride out to 270-degrees. Inside, there's a 7-inch instrument screen and manual air conditioning.
As for media connectivity, well the 12.3-inch centre screen incorporates Bluetooth Music and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though there's a rather feeble two-speaker audio system. There are only three available colours and you'll have to pay extra if you don't want the only standard shade, solid Jade White.
Drive assistance safety features include automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, a lane departure warning system, Blind spot detection, traffic sign interpretation, door open warning and rear cross traffic alert.
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Practicalities and costs
As we've said elsewhere in this review, the V7E comes only in one L1H1 shape that's a fraction under 5-metres long and 2-metres tall. Payload - rated at up to 1,338kg - is nearly double what you get from some versions of a rival Kia PV5 Cargo. And you can access up to 6.95m3 of cargo volume via twin sliding side doors and rear doors that open right out to 270-degrees, all of this fitted as standard.
Every model benefits from a low loading height of 500mm. The cargo area length is 2,730mm. And the 1,250mm width between the wheel arches can take a euro pallet. The cargo area has pre-installed anchor points and is ready to be fitted out with custom shelving and storage solutions. There's also an advanced payload monitoring system that displays load weight in real time to help avoid over-loading. Braked towing capacity is 1,000kg.
The DC charge time from 20 to 80% can be as little as 18 minutes for the 50kWh battery. It's 30 minutes with the 67k battery. AC charging using a three-phase 11kW supply takes 4.9 hours with the 50kWh battery - or 6.5 hours with the 67kWh battery. If you're worried about the thought of buying into an unknown brand, you'll want to know that all variants will benefit from a standard four-year / 120,000-mile warranty (eight-year / 120,000-mile for the battery).
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Summary
If you're looking for a spacious small electric van, the V7E probably won't be on your shopping list, but it probably should be. We don't yet know about long-term durability, you might hope for a bit more EV range and there are only two seats in the cab. Otherwise, there's a lot to like here.
For all that, don't expect to see too many big fleets buying into the V7E proposition. But for small-to-medium-sized businesses and owner-drivers, it might well be ideal. And it ought to shake up the LCV market much more than it probably will. This is China flexing its muscles in the van market. And the established brands should worry.
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