Fiat e-Ducato Tipper vs Vauxhall Movano-e Tipper

If you’re looking for a new van to meet your commercial needs, a tipper variant can make for an excellent choice of vehicle. Fitted with a tipping mechanism that allows the van’s cargo bed to be raised up and down, the tipper is a variant well-suited to transporting loose materials, such as gravel, sand, and other construction waste. This makes tipper variants especially useful in industrial applications, such as mining, construction, and waste management.

With obvious environmental benefits and government incentives, many van manufacturers are converting their most popular vans into electric vehicles. Fiat and Vauxhall are two examples of this, with the Fiat e-Ducato and Vauxhall Movano-e being electrified variants of their respective Ducato and Movano models.

With almost 40,000 electric vans being registered in the UK so far in 2023, when compared with the 5,000 electric vans registered in the whole of 2020, there is a palpable demand for sustainable and cost-effective commercial vehicles,

We’ve compared the tipper variants of the Fiat e-Ducato and Vauxhall Movano-e to learn more about each van and which might best fit your various needs from a light commercial vehicle.

Engines and Spec

Underneath the bonnet of the Fiat e-Ducato Tipper is a 90kW motor capable of 122hp, available with either a 47kWh or 79kWh battery. The smaller battery, which doesn’t impact load capacity through Fiat’s compact design strategy, has a maximum range of 146 miles. The larger 197kWh battery offers an impressive maximum driving range of 230 miles, but this does slightly impact load capacity.

The Vauxhall Movano-e Tipper, on the other hand, is also fitted with a 90kW motor, with a battery choice of 37kWh or 70kWh. The smaller battery sizes of the Movano-e mean that its battery range is less impressive than the e-Ducato, managing 72 miles with the smaller battery and 139 miles with the larger battery.

However, battery sizes are only a part of the story, charging times play a huge part in the functionality and effectiveness of an electric van. The Fiat e-Ducato’s smaller battery takes 8 hours to reach 100% and 5 hours to reach 80% with the Quick Charge function. The larger battery also takes 8 hours to reach 100% capacity, but only around an hour and a half to reach 80% charge. The Vauxhall Movano-e, meanwhile,  takes between 6 to 12 hours to fully charge with a typical 7kW wall box and, with a rapid charger, it is able to reach 80% charge in an hour.

With fast-charging capabilities and good battery ranges, the Fiat e-Ducato and Vauxhall Movano-e are both suitable for commercial applications where you’ll need to travel over long distances. This is especially important for a tipper variant, as it allows for greater versatility and comfortability when transporting materials over long distances.

But for a tipper variant, arguably more important than battery range is the maximum payload, which refers to the maximum amount of weight that can be safely added to a van’s cargo area. The Fiat e-Ducato manages an impressive 1885kg, marginally trumped by the Vauxhall Movano-e’s maximum payload of 2,100kg. These figures are impressive and make both vehicles adapted to the rigour of a tipper variant.

Interior

Peering inside the cab of the Fiat e-Ducato Tipper,  there is a robust, practical interior which should raise no issues for the average commercial vehicle user. With adequate storage options and a built-in touchscreen infotainment system that comes as standard, the Fiat boats impressive driver assistance features such as automatic climate control, e-braking, blind spot assist, a lane departure warning system, and traffic sign recognition.

The e-Ducato also has three Drive Modes, Normal, ECO (for increased range), and Power (for heavy loads). Cycling between these Drive Modes can enhance the van’s long-term performance and optimise it for the task at hand.

Vauxhall Movano-e Tipper has a similarly practically-minded interior, which is remarkably spacious and has a surprisingly smooth ride, even in its tipper variant. There are useful driver safety features such as forward collision alert, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and Hill Descent Control. The blind spot warning system is especially valuable in the tipper variant, as it helps to ensure safe driving, even when the cargo bed might be loaded with materials that hamper visibility.

Vauxhall has also managed to technologically integrate the Movano-e with their own smartphone applications, VauxhallConnect and MyVauxhall. VauxhallConnect is packed with useful information such as current charge status, whilst the MyVauxhall app can show nearby charging stations and more.

The Verdict

Both the Fiat e-Ducato and Vauxhall Movano-e are excellent vans and are especially practical in their tipper variants. Boasting a good driving range, respectable payload, and useful driver safety features, the Fiat and Vauxhall make for an astute choice of light commercial vehicle.

If the Fiat’s long driving range or the Vauxhall’s smartphone integration has piqued your interest, both of these vans are available at Van Sales UK in a variety of variants, from Tipper to Luton.

Take a look through Van Sales UK’s online showroom to discover our wide range of electric and diesel vans, as well as the array of other new and used vehicles available. With free, fast, nationwide delivery, flexible payment options, and free breakdown cover, getting a new van is easy with Van Sales UK.

If you have any questions about the two vans featured in this article or want to find out more about another van, feel free to get in touch with us today. You can speak to a friendly member of our team by calling 0117 205 2907 or emailing sales@vansalesuk.co.uk.