Fiat E-Scudo new van review

£34,620 - £34,620
6.8out of 10

10 Second Review

Fiat's E-Scudo calls itself a van for true professionals, this the Italian brand's interpretation of the mid-sized full-electric design shared by other Stellantis Group models. Here though, it's backed by an IVECO service network far better suited to demanding commercial needs. If the current state of commercial vehicle EV technology makes sense for you in this sector, it's quite a convincing proposition.

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Detailed ratings

Spacious Compact Vans
Overall
68 %
Economy
7 / 10
Space
7 / 10
Value
6 / 10
Handling
7 / 10
Depreciation
6 / 10
Styling
8 / 10
Build
7 / 10
Comfort
7 / 10
Insurance
7 / 10
Performance
7 / 10
Equipment
6 / 10

Background

The design of vans may increasingly these days be very much the same but the dealer network and servicing support you get from different brands still differs widely. So you need to think beyond the test drive and spec sheet figures. Do that if you're in search of a 1.0-tonne mid-sized electric van and there's just a chance your enquiries could lead you to this one, the Fiat E-Scudo.
The Scudo nameplate is unlikely to be that familiar. It was reintroduced to the Fiat Professional van range in 2022 after a gap of six years, during which the company's mid-sized models were badged 'Talento'. The Scudo model line's return comes as its maker has reverted to the shared EMP2 Stellantis Group platform, which means there can also be an all-electric version, this E-Scudo.
But it also means this full-battery LCV must compete against three near-identical Stellantis Group models with different badges - the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, the Citroen e-Dispatch and the Peugeot e-Expert, plus another near-identical model, the Toyota Proace Electric. From that list, the E-Scudo might not initially be your first pick if prices were similar. But unlike its rivals, it comes with the advantage of backing from a dealer network designed for commercials, rather than cars; many of the franchises are also in sister brand IVECO's network of service centres. That could be significant.
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Range data

MinMax
Price3462034620
Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles)141141
Length (mm)49564956
MinMax
Width (mm)19201920
Height (mm)18901890
Payload Capacity (l)10001226

Video

Driving experience

The E-Scudo van comes with a choice of batteries. The smaller of the two has 50kWh and won't take you very far - up to 142 miles combined, or up to 196 miles in the city. With the pricier 75kWh battery fitted to your E-Scudo van, there's a 205 mile combined range, which rises to 267 miles in the city.
If you're wondering what driving a full-electric mid-sized van might be like, well, there's not too much to get your head around. You turn the key in the ignition, wait for the starting beep, then flick the gear toggle into Drive. There's a drive-mode selector that allows drivers to switch between 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' modes. The 'Normal' setting restricts you to 109hp and will feel a bit like driving a lower capacity diesel. 'Eco' mode restricts you further to 81.5hp and reduces the power consumption of the air conditioning and other accessories. If you want the full 136hp of the electric motor, selecting 'Sport' mode unlocks it. There's also a gearshift selector 'B' option that ploughs extra regenerated energy back into the battery, offering more resistance while you're slowing down. Top speed is just 84mph.
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Design and build

Unlike combustion-engined Scudos, this E-Scudo isn't British-built in Luton but is put together alongside it's Stellantis Group electric LCV stablemates at a French production plant in Hordain. Apart from the badge work, there's little to set this full-electric Scudo apart from its diesel-engined stablemates. As with the combustion models, there's a choice of short wheelbase 'Standard' or long wheelbase 'Maxi' variants, but Fiat doesn't offer a high roof option with either powertrain. Visually, it looks pretty similar to the Vivaro Electric, but to differentiate the Scudo, there's a Fiat-specific front grille, complete with the company's latest brand badge, plus a swept-back pair of headlamps.
Inside, it's all pretty identical to the Scudo diesel, though the gear lever gets replaced by a drive selector and, next to it, a rocker switch for clicking between the various driving modes. In the instrument binnacle, in place of the usual righthand rev counter you get a Power Meter with 'Eco', 'Charge' and 'Power' sections. Further up are little gauges for battery charge and one showing whether you're using the powertrain on 'Max' or 'Eco'. A little screen between the main dials can be set to a PowerFlow Monitor showing state of charge and what's being powered by what, which on top-spec variants is also duplicated in larger form on a 7-inch centre infotainment screen.
As in any ordinary Scudo, there's quite a low seating position (for a van), with plenty of seat and wheel adjustment. As usual in this class, a three-person bench seat is fitted and on most variants there's a Moduwork bulkhead flap so that longer items can be pushed through from the cargo area. The dashboard is almost identical to that you'll find in the other versions of this design, which means that most functions are on the central touchscreen, though the climate controls are separated out below. That Moduwork feature also allows the passenger seat to fold forward so the backrest can lay flat to create a handy work surface.
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Market and model

As with other Stellantis Group mid-sized EV vans, E-Scudo LCV pricing starts at around £35,000 (exc VAT and OTR charges) after deduction of the £5,000 Government Plug-in Van Grant and this LCV is available as a van or a crew cab or as a short wheelbase chassis cab. You'll be choosing between 'Standard' or 'Primo' levels of spec. It's just over £3,000 to graduate from the base 50kWh battery to the larger 75kWh one.
All E-Scudo van models are decently equipped, 'Standard'-spec including manual air conditioning, daytime running lights and rear parking sensors. Media connectivity is taken care of by a 7-inch centre touchscreen, with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. Fiat hasn't forgotten a proper full-sized steel spare wheel, 12V sockets in both cabin and load area and an alarm either. For the cab, there's a driver's seat with height, rake, reach and lumbar adjustment, plus a full steel bulkhead.
The main reason you'd want to stretch to plusher 'Primo' spec is to get the useful 'Moduwork' package which gives you a fold-up middle seat, a fold-down writing table in the centre seat back and storage under the passenger bench. Plus a useful load-through flap under the outer passenger seat into the cargo area. 'Primo' spec also upgrades you with front fog lamps, a panoramic view camera, power-folding mirrors and a 'Look Pack' which gets you a body-coloured finish for the front and rear bumpers, the side rubbing strips and the exterior door handles.
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Summary

There's quite a lot to like here. As we've seen with Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Toyota versions of this same all-electric design, the E-Scudo is as class-competitive as you can currently get in the important areas of driving range, practicality and running costs for a mid-sized EV van of this kind.
As we said earlier, what we think sets it apart is the Fiat Professional service centre back-up, especially where it's shared with an IVECO network based around the much more demanding logistical needs of mission-critical large HGVs. The chances are your business is simply going to be looked after better than by a dealership that only specialises in cars. If Fiat Professional could complete the proposition by offering here the same opportunity for up to 10 years of warranty coverage that you can get with a comparable Toyota Proace Electric, we'd have no hesitation in making the E-Scudo our top pick in this class. As it is, it gets very close to that.
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