Buying an electric van for your business

Which electric van for which job?

20 electric vans are on sale. Payload and cargo are the maker's best figures; check the exact version you're buying.

Small vans

Couriers, trades with light tools, city deliveries.

Mid-size vans

Most trades and service businesses: the HiAce and Transit Custom class.

Large vans

Removals, big parcels, fit-outs, shelving and racking.

Cab-chassis

Trays, tippers and pantechs built on a van cab: landscapers, builders and furniture delivery.

How much you save on running costs

Fuel and servicing in NSW, 80% charged at the depot or home. The more kilometres you do, the faster an electric van pays back its higher price. Use the calculator for your own kilometres, state and diesel van.

Reliability and downtime: what matters for a business

For a tradie or a delivery business, a van off the road costs more than its repair bill: it's lost jobs. Electric vans have far fewer moving parts than a diesel (no oil changes, injectors, turbo, DPF or clutch), so routine servicing is simpler and cheaper. The risks are different: how long the model has been here, how far away the nearest dealer that can fix it is, and whether the warranty still covers you at high kilometres.

Ways to cut downtime risk

• Check the kilometre limit, not just the years. At 30,000 km a year, a 5-year / 160,000 km warranty runs out in about 5 years; at 50,000 km a year, in about 3. Unlimited-km warranties are worth a lot to high-kilometre businesses.
• Find your nearest service centre before you buy. Newer brands have fewer dealers, and not every dealer can work on high-voltage systems. Ask how long parts take to arrive.
• Ask about a loan van or roadside assistance that includes towing to a dealer, and get it in writing.
• Prefer a model with a few years in Australia if you can't afford downtime. Early cars of any new model tend to have more recalls and software fixes.
• Check the brand's future here. Peugeot's Australian distributor is winding up in 2026, which is a real risk for parts and servicing on the e-Partner and e-Expert.
• Look up recalls on the official recall site, and ask the dealer whether any are outstanding on the van you're buying.
• Battery wear is rarely the problem. Batteries typically lose a little capacity over the years, and most come with an 8-year battery warranty. See how long EV batteries last.

Range and payload in the real world

The claimed range is for an empty van in mixed driving. A full load, a roof rack, highway speeds, cold mornings and towing all cut it. For planning, assume about 70% of the claimed range with a full load. Batteries are heavy, so some electric vans carry less than the diesel they replace: check the payload of the exact version against what you actually carry, including racking and tools.

Licences: what you can drive on a car licence

A standard car licence covers vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM. All the vans listed here are under that. Several electric light trucks are offered in a 4.5 t version so they can be driven on a car licence; heavier versions need a light rigid (LR) licence. See the electric light trucks.

Tax basics for business vans

• GST: businesses registered for GST can usually claim back the GST in the price.
• The car limit for depreciation ($69,883 in 2026–27) applies to "cars": vehicles designed to carry fewer than nine passengers and under one tonne of payload. Vans and utes rated for one tonne or more generally fall outside it, so you can depreciate the full price. Some smaller electric vans carry less than a tonne (Kia PV5 Cargo, Peugeot e-Partner, Renault Kangoo E-Tech, Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo, Volkswagen e-Transporter), so check with your accountant whether the limit applies.
• Instant asset write-off: the small business limit is $20,000 per asset (the ATO confirms this for 2025–26). Every electric van costs more than that, so it is normally depreciated instead.
• Fringe benefits tax: a van or ute given to an employee is generally FBT exempt if private use is only minor, infrequent and irregular (the ATO's guidance suggests no more than 750 km of private trips a year and no single private trip over 200 km). Salary-packaged vehicles don't qualify.

Charging at the depot or at home

An average electric van here uses about 23 kWh per 100 km. A 7 kW wall charger running for 10 hours overnight adds about 310 km, which covers most daily runs. A three-phase 11 or 22 kW charger at a depot charges two to three times faster, and lets several vans share overnight. Charging on a business electricity plan at night or from rooftop solar is far cheaper than public fast charging, which costs about 70c per kWh. See what a home charger costs.