Watch out, Ford Transit! New electric Farizon SV van starts from £45k

Farizon has officially launched in the UK with its ‘SV’ Supervan. Prices start from exactly £45,000 (excluding VAT) and buyers can choose from five body sizes, plus three batteries that can provide up to 247 miles of range.

The company is owned by Chinese automotive powerhouse Geely - which also has the likes of Lotus, Volvo, Polestar and Smart within its stable. Here in the UK, distribution of the Farizon SV will be handled by London-based Jameel Motors, and deliveries are due to begin this summer.

Farizon announced at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham in April that, along with five different body sizes, that the SV will be available with a refrigeration unit. The conversion comes from Farizon’s partnership with Paneltex - a “global leader in temperature-controlled vehicle body building and conversions”.

The refrigeration unit is powered by the van’s own electrical architecture, removing the need for auxiliary batteries, thus saving weight and cost. This is also the world’s first refrigerated van conversion that features a sliding door without a B-pillar, to help make loading and unloading easier. 

Farizon also showed off an SV with “cargo-carrying protection solutions” from Motexion. These include “premium interior flooring”, plus linings, bulkheads and protective panelling to prevent damage to the van and its cargo while also improving temperature and noise insulation. 

Another partner, Wottz (who specialise in EV charging), will supply extra-long charging cables for the SV. Most electric vehicles come with a five-metre cable, but cables up to 7.5 metres long will be available with the new van.

Farizon claims the SV has been “designed specifically to meet the needs of European fleets”. Body sizes start with the L1 H1 model that measures 4,990mm long and 1,980mm high, stretching to an L3 H3, which extends to 5,995mm long and 2,500mm high. The largest version boasts a load capacity of up to 13 cubic metres.

Maximum payload is rated at 1,390kg, and the SV comes as standard with a payload-monitoring system that shows the weight through the driver’s display, and will provide an alert if the van is overloaded.

Farizon faces plenty of fully electric rivals

Due to the numerous body sizes available, the Farizon SV will rival both medium-size vans such as the Ford E-Transit Custom and Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo, and larger ones including the Ford E-Transit and Renault Master E-Tech. 

The van is built on a bespoke ‘born electric’ modular platform, which is claimed to offer benefits in cargo space, range, handling and safety. The SV features cell-to-pack technology to improve battery capacity, reduce weight and increase body stiffness. In a first for the global van market, it also has a dual-redundancy, drive-by-wire set-up for the braking and steering, so that if one connection fails, there will always be a back-up ready to take over. 

Farizon says the SV has undergone “a rigorous one-million-mile testing and development programme” and claims it will meet every European standard, “including in durability, safety and sustainability”. The three battery options – 67kWh, 83kWh and 106kWh – can deliver between 177 miles and 247 miles, according to Farizon, although the brand claims that up to 342 miles around town is feasible. 

The Farizon SV also comes as standard with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, heated and ventilated seats, a heated windscreen and a suite of driver assistance systems including adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. There’s also a standard four-year/120,000-mile warranty. 

The SV has been tested by Euro NCAP and it received a score of 85 points, which Farizon says “places it among the UK’s best options for safe and reliable large vans”.

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