Maxus eDeliver 9 Review 2024

Maxus is on a mission to disrupt the electric van market, offering substantial value for money and a locally focused dealer network that’s ideal for small business users and SMEs. The Maxus eDeliver 9 is its biggest electric model and shows lots of promise, but is it any good? Read our Maxus eDeliver 9 full review to find out.

Launched concurrently with the diesel version of the Maxus Deliver 9 large panel van, the electric model is a direct rival to the likes of the Vauxhall Movano Electric and Peugeot e-Boxer, but is priced around 15 per cent lower, which makes it an appealing option for businesses with costs front of mind.

It comes with a choice of three battery sizes - 51.5kWh (with 112 miles range on the WLTP cycle), 72kWh (146 miles) and 88.55kWh (185 miles). All are coupled with a lively 201PS motor with three driving modes: 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Power'.

The Maxus brand is served by a network of largely independent, local dealerships and targeted squarely at SMEs and sole traders rather than big fleets.

The Maxus eDeliver 9 is a greater choice of bodies than its diesel equivalent including three different lengths: 'MH' medium (5546mm) and 'LH' long (5,940mm). Total cargo volume ranges from 9.7 to 11.0 cubic metres depending on body style, with a competitive payload from 1040kg (73kWh MH) to 1200kg (51kWh MH).

Depending on what you require, the Maxus eDeliver 9 is quite a compelling proposition on paper, and in our experience it’s probably the most convincing model to come from Maxus yet – well engineered, good to drive and keenly priced and capable, if you need a big van and are looking to make the move to electric it’s a difficult one to ignore. It’s a genuinely good proposition.

All Maxus vehicles come with a five years warranty or 125,000 miles of cover and include five years roadside assistance cover as standard. The battery gets its own 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Thanks to a wider choice of bodies than the diesel Maxus Deliver 9, the Maxus eDeliver 9 is a flexible vehicle with a choice of three lengths and two roof heights.

In each case, its spacious and well laid-out, with a flat load floor and good access.

The load bay is accessible and functional – the twin rear doors have a maximum width of 1570mm to load through with 1366mm between the wheel arches, and the side loading door is 1269mm wide allowing for a Euro pallet to be loaded from the side.

The cargo area features LED lighting and a total of eight tie-down points – fewer than most rivals but enough for most, and the battery pack is positioned beneath the floor so as not to impact on the space available.

In the front, the cab is smart and well-equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system and smartphone-mirroring, but look more closely and some of the trim is rough and cheaply finished, though it all feels durable enough. The digital instrument binnacle gives range and performance read outs and is clear and concise, while the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible touchscreen is intuitive and easy to use.

Safety kit is excellent for the price with surround view monitoring, autonomous emergency braking and lane change assist as standard, while there are also several upmarket features you wouldn’t always expect in a van at this price level such as cruise control, air conditioning, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, although the latter is mounted quite high and can make close distances difficult to judge.

Even in ‘Eco’ mode the Maxus eDeliver 9 feels quite lively and the 201PS electric motor delivers a good burst of initial speed, as well as being quiet and refined when cruising. It’s a well-matched unit to the can’s size4 and weight and is genuinely one of the better large electric vans we’ve driven – not as good as the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, but also nowhere near as expensive. It’s a better van to drive than the current large models from Stellantis, which are based on an older base van and show their age as a result.

The extra weight of the electric model makes it smoother to drive than the diesel Maxus Deliver 9 as well – it’s softer at the back end and feels better damped. It’s a genuinely impressive vehicle to drive.

There are three regenerative braking modes, the most powerful of which slows the van to walking pace but isn’t harsh in its application.

Visibility is pretty good with a high driving position and good mirrors, the only bugbear being a slightly grainy rear-view camera that is mounted too high to give a proper sense of perspective. The driving position is comfortable and commanding and the controls light and intuitive to use, with light but precise steering and progressive brakes.

Overall, the Maxus eDeliver 9 is a genuinely impressive large electric van – up there with the class leaders and at a convincingly affordable price level. Our only real gripe is that you need the bigger battery to match the range of other vans in the class, but that’s a decision you can make based on the needs of your business.

It may be a budget offering, but the Maxus eDeliver 9 is also a very good one indeed.