FIAT Professional Launches Its New E-Ducato Commercial Van:

FIAT Professional has officially launched its long-awaited electrified 2021 Fiat E-Ducato commercial van. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Ducato nameplate and there isn’t a better time to introduce the next chapter of the best-selling commercial vehicle in Europe. The Ducato is also the best-selling motorhome chassis for the 6th consecutive year, making it the Fiat Professional brand’s halo vehicle.

The new 2021 Fiat E-Ducato can achieve the equivalent performance to its diesel counterparts, thanks to an electric motor with a maximum power delivery of 280 Nm (207 ft.-lbs.) of torque and 90 kW of power (or 122 horsepower). This means that the E-Ducato can achieve a 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in about 5 seconds. While that might not seem like some of the incredible performance numbers of most battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), the E-Ducato isn’t tuned for performance as it is for efficiency.

The E-Ducato is also fitted out with a series of modular solutions, starting from two different battery blocks. There is a 47 kWh and a 79 kWh, best-in-class for installed electrical capacity, and four types of charging modes, three of which are available at launch.

With the 47-kWh battery, the E-Ducato can travel up to 170 kilometers (105.6 miles) in the Worldwide harmonized Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) cycle and up to 235 kilometers (146 miles) in the urban cycle. With a 79-kWh battery, the distances increase to 280 kilometers (174 miles) in the WLTP cycle, equivalent to 370 kilometers (230 miles) in the urban cycle. It takes no longer than half an hour to charge up enough to drive 100 kilometers (62 miles).

It is also worth mentioning that the batteries have a warranty for 10 years or 220,000 kilometers (136,700 miles) on the 79-kWh version or 8 years/160,000 kilometers (99,420 miles) on the 47-kWh model.

In terms of flexibility, to meet such a wide and diverse range of needs, the E-Ducato also offers a Drive Mode Selector. In its “Normal” position, it ensures the ideal balance between performance and costs, or it can be set to “Eco” mode to save energy. When a really heavy load needs to be carried or the vehicle is facing a demanding ascent, the right choice is “Power” mode. E-Ducato has another two features to provide it’s drivers with a peace of mind:

• “Turtle Mode”, similar to the battery saver function on a mobile phone, is activated automatically when the battery is low and limits vehicle performance, to make the battery last 8-10% longer.
• “Recovery Mode”, making the E-Ducato the only electric vehicle that never stops. In fact, if one battery module does not work, the others take its place to make sure it can keep going.

According to FIAT Professional, the E-Ducato has been modeled around customers’ requirements. Courtesy of its original, uncompromising front-wheel-drive architecture, with no bulk at the bottom of the chassis and ample distance between the side rails, the new model’s batteries are optimally placed under the floor, leaving intact the load capacity and almost 2 tons of weight. Other obvious advantages are the optimal distribution of weight and the lowering of the center of gravity, to improve the vehicle’s handling under all load conditions.

The inclusion of Mopar^® Connect as standard equipment all E-Ducatos provides a wide range of other services, such as assistance in the event of an accident or breakdown (the telematics box, which detects the vehicle’s location, ensures prompt, targeted service 24/7). If the vehicle is stolen, the system can locate it and prevent it from being restarted, to make it easier to find. The Uconnect LIVE mobile app means you can check whether you have closed the doors, find where you’ve parked it and receive an alert if the vehicle is moved from its previous location or exceeds a preset speed limit.

The Uconnect LIVE mobile app also includes a wide range of other features, such as my:Car, providing remote control of battery level or tire pressure, as well as monthly vehicle health reports. There is also the my:Journey service, to view and manage all vehicle movements, and the my:eCharge pack, developed specifically for the E-Ducato, to plan charging, find, use and pay for public charge points and manage charging from your connected Wallbox.

We have seen that the 2022 Fiat Ducato will have a revised interior and exterior styling. None of the upcoming improvements was mention during this week’s launch.

With Stellantis’ plan of electrification for its entire lineup before 2030, we expect that the Ram ProMaster will adapt most of E-Ducato’s new technologies. The Ram ProMaster is due for a revision for the 2023 model year.

Source: Fiat Professional