Even in the Middle Kingdom, "China speed" is relative: while with the passenger car brands in Geely's sprawling empire—Polestar, Volvo, Lynk & Co, Lotus and Zeekr—18 months of development time for a new model is taken as the norm, the Farizon van turned out to be more like three years. That pace is still an enormous tempo relative to European brands—and underscores the big ambitions of the brand, which was founded only in 2016 and plans to bring to market in the coming years, alongside EV vans, also New Energy Trucks and buses. Within the group, synergies are diligently exploited, for example in safety, car-body rigidity and handling with Volvo and their R&D department in Gothenburg.
The sheet-metal-wrought result of the rapid development work is by no means cheap-looking, nor cheap. As a general rule, Geely does not see itself among the China brands as a "bargain-basement" provider, but as a premium supplier. This claim should also apply to the vans, where they have not designed an overly fussy interior, but used decent plastics that are neatly joined and overall convey a robust and appropriate impression.
The same goes for the "metal skin": wherever you touch it, it has substance and form, literally in the case of the prank-proof door handles. The doors themselves open smoothly, the sliding door latches firmly, the cab portals open extremely wide and here immediately reveals the first big highlight. For the SV, it forgoes a B-pillar in favor of another opening. That only makes sense if you add a flexible partition and a folding seat, which is said to follow, as the engineers assure.
Mängel nur im Detail
By the way, they also plan to improve standards such as seat height adjustment and steering wheel reach. And a rear-view mirror, digital or analog, they had simply forgotten so far. The side mirrors fit as well as the generally good forward visibility (if only the seat were higher!) or the instrument panel, which has two fairly clear screens, though the central cluster could deliver clearer and more driving information or status of recuperation. In general: The button
for adjusting the three-stage recuperation modes from sailing to firm is found rather by accident; it's hidden on the left in the control strip. Incidentally: An "One-Pedal-Drive" to a standstill would also be nice, so you could forget the brake pedal in urban areas. Not optimal with light incidence is also the semi-transparent strip for the ventilation control, but at least there are two grippy sliders for ventilation and temperature.
Cab-Forward: Alles nach vorn spart Platz
Great advantage of the Cab-Forward design, which transfers the concept of the Fiat Ducato into the E-era: behind the solid partition there is an awful lot of storage space. In the three lengths of just under 5 meters, 5.50 meters and 6 meters, 7 to 13 cubic meters of volume are available, in three heights Flat/Mid/High, at a modest 1.98 meters width. The loading length is 2.74 meters, the loading width 1.79 meters and between the wheel arches there remains 1.37 meters, which in the base is more than enough for two pallets. Especially interesting for delivery services is likely the smallest version, which at a height of 1.98 meters remains deep-garage capable.
But even the high-roof long version with its 13 cubic meters still holds its measure. Also nice is the square-practical rear opening and the 52 centimeter low loading sill, as well as the eight sturdy tie-down eyes or the power connections for external consumers in the rear compartment. Under the hood, whose plastic apron is completely removable, there is only the filler neck for windshield washer fluid and brake fluid. Space-efficient is the vehicle, therefore, already.
Hohe Nutzlast für einen E-Van
Thanks to the dedicated development as an E-Van, including weight- and space-saving highlights such as drive-by-wire technology, the engineers were able to consistently exploit the peculiarities, integrating, for example, the 15-centimeter ultrathin batteries into the structure (Cell-to-Pack, CTP) from high-strength steels and thereby realized not only a lot of space but also what E-Vans have previously completely lacked: good payload.
The L1H1 variant can shoulder almost 1.5 tonnes of payload with its two-tonne curb weight and generally 3.5 tonnes gross weight; the
largest SV is still 1.1 tonnes. From that, eSprinter, E-Transit or ID.Buzz can only dream. They have also considered adequate axle loads, with 1,800 kg at the front and 2,350 kg at the rear. A towing capacity of 2,000 kg can also be attached to the potential hitch, though one should add the option of a tachograph. Another advantage of the "everything-forward" approach: under the rear there is a real spare wheel, a feature one has almost forgotten about amid tire-fit asceticism.
Zügige Fortbewegung
In terms of form, the same applies to delivery vans: space is what matters. And the Farizon Van does not shy away from it either. Quick, but not rushed for the category, the 500 kg-loaded EV van with its synchronous motor (170 or 200 kW, 363/343 Nm) pulls with the front wheels; in Eco mode it moves forward at a completely adequate pace, Normal and Sport then change the response behavior, more like casual toys, but industry-standard. At 135 km/h the acceleration ends, which is reasonable, even if the SV for a van has a very good cW value of 0.29.
Wind noise does not get too loud, even with the thoroughly rubber-sealed, B-pillar-free side opening. Rolling noise is also well damped and the SV cushions the roughest of bumps. No creaking can the fortress-like bodywork elicit; the whole construction looks compact. The easy Drive-by-Wire steering (no mechanical steering linkage) certainly simplifies maneuvering, but also conceals that the SV sits quite well and safely on the road and, in the spirit of its Volvo or Polestar brothers, also has dynamic potential. Good, rather casual, for a delivery van. Especially for a front-drive is the turning circle of 12.2, 14 and 14.7 meters acceptable.
Reichweite passt, große Akku-Auswahl
Here range becomes more important and in this evaluation the Geely van holds up: On two runs with the L3H2 van and the L1H1 model we achieved 20.5 and 22.6 kWh/100 km. Officially it should be about 24 kWh/100 km. We drove the compact car a bit more “sporty”; it also feels more agile on the road. So this could be
right, with the stated ranges of 215 to 398 kilometers WLTP or 284 to 551 kilometers WLTP City. Farizon offers a broad selection of batteries to fit the use case. The entry are the cheaper VREMT batteries at 49 and 66 kWh (LFP/NMC), the upgrade then the CATL stores with 68, 83 (LFP) or even long-range-capable 106 kWh (NMC) capacity. One can look forward to the pricing. But range anxiety can no longer be used as an excuse.
Zeitgemäße Ladetechnik
In addition, one pairs modern charging technology with 6.6 kW AC as well as 130/150 kW for the VREMT batteries and 11 kW AC as well as 105 and 127 kW DC for the CATL storage. In 30 minutes, charging should go from 20 to 80 percent, within a 400-volt system, which Geely uses in this class like Kia with the PV5, but unlike Renault's Flexis competition. The charging slot sits quite conveniently and reasonably impact-resistant above the fender on the right. V2L is of course possible for the SV, with 3.3 kW on a household socket or even 10 kW in Type 2 to power external consumers.
Prices are to start under 40,000 euros
Regarding sustainability in operation, a high recycling rate of 95 percent of materials and, reportedly, climate-neutral production in China should accompany it. In terms of prices, Farizon has not yet given a final statement but has hinted that, in keeping with the company philosophy, they do not want to be cheap, but affordable. Moreover — also in Geely style — the vans come with quite comprehensive equipment: Listed as an extra is only the 270-degree opening of the rear doors. Otherwise, in the truest sense of the word, "everything is included," from the mentioned driver assistance, to air conditioning, keyless start, wireless CarPlay, climate control, heated seats, plastic flooring, LED front and rear lights, rear parking sensors, door-opening sensors, 12.3-inch infotainment, and so on. Under 40,000 euros, rather around 38,000 euros, is the starting point. To coax business customers along, they are currently building a dealer and service network. Because even a van made of high-strength steel
