The Electric Van Company (EVC) has won the Manufacturing Excellence Award at the National Automotive Awards, recognising its work in bringing the low-cost CitySprint electric van into production in Lancashire.
EVC received the award at the National Automotive Awards gala at Crewe Hall in Cheshire, last night, with the accolade recognising the engineering and manufacturing work behind the development of the CitySprint from initial design through to production.
The award comes as EVC continues to ramp up production of the CitySprint, a lightweight electric commercial vehicle aimed primarily at urban and last-mile operators.
Launched earlier this year, the CitySprint starts from £15,250 excluding VAT and is assembled at EVC’s production facility in Nelson, Lancashire, using globally sourced components and built to conform to L7e heavy quadricycle standards, rather than an N1 light commercial vehicle.
Read our guide to the EVC CitySprint dimensions
The CitySprint uses a 23kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and 20kW electric motor, giving it a claimed range of up to 120 miles and a maximum speed of 46mph. Payload varies between 500kg and 600kg depending on the body configuration.
Charging is handled by a 3.3kW onboard charger, allowing the vehicle to be plugged into a conventional 13A domestic socket, with EVC quoting a 20% to 80% charging time of less than five hours.
The CitySprint range includes pick-up, tipper, box van and chassis cab derivatives, potentially opening it up to applications including local authority work, facilities maintenance, trades and specialist urban deliveries, with development of further body types constantly being added to the portfolio.
EVC MD Keith Sims said: “This award is for the team that have worked tirelessly bringing the EVC CitySprint from design to reality at our Lancashire-based production facility. Their dedication, skill and attention to detail are the reason we’re standing here tonight, and this recognition is thoroughly deserved.”
The National Automotive Awards success comes during a significant week for the manufacturer, which has also achieved ISO 9001 certification for quality management and ISO 14001 certification for environmental management covering its manufacturing processes.
The certifications provide EVC with internationally recognised management standards as it looks to increase production and establish the CitySprint in the UK electric commercial vehicle market.
