LEVC starts production of new electric van in Coventry

The new model is designed, engineered and manufactured at LEVC’s production plant in Ansty, Coventry - the company’s dedicated electric vehicle factory.

Following on from the company’s electric Taxi, the VN5 is its first electric van model.

“Today is an historic moment for our iconic company as we launch a second product line and continue our growth strategy to become a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer,” said Joerg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC. “VN5 sets new green mobility standards in the industry and establishes a new and highly desirable electric van segment.”​

For the name, VN is chosen for van and 5 represents the volume of the cargo area, 5m³. With its distinctive design, lightweight aluminium construction and eCity technology, VN5 also now shares the LEVC’s flexible production line with TX.

VN5 targets the growing one-tonne van sector and LEVC expects its new electric van to account for around 70% of production volume by 2022. First vehicles will be delivered to UK customers before the end of the year and a LHD variant will join production in March 2021.​

LEVC’s manufacturing facility is a fully digitalised Industry 4.0 factory, which means all business systems and processes are interlinked and provide live, cloud-based data.

Both TX and VN5 start their journey in the bodystructure area of the factory as over 400 individual pieces of aluminium. This clean air environment houses five hot cure robots that apply bonding adhesive to the aluminium and four hot cure ovens that bake the body structures for 185 degrees for 55-60 minutes. This technology creates a body 3-4 times stiffer than a welded body.

TX and VN5 share a range-extended electric powertrain. The marriage of the powertrain to the body is one of the most crucial elements of production and is performed by four operatives, all trained to handle the 31kWh battery and other HV architecture.

VN5 can achieve a pure EV range of over 60 miles and a total flexible range of over 300 miles.

LEVC www.levc.com