For any fleet manager in New Zealand, the biggest question mark hanging over the switch to electric has always been one of trust. Brochure figures for range and efficiency look great under lab conditions, but what happens on a wet Tuesday, loaded with gear, navigating the stop-start crawl of Auckland's Southern Motorway?
It’s a common gripe that has made businesses cautious about electrifying their fleets. Enter the Farizon SV. This new electric van from the Geely powerhouse—the same automotive giant behind Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus—hasn’t just met its official figures; it has shattered them under grueling, real-world conditions, potentially rewriting the rulebook for commercial EVs.
To prove its mettle, the Farizon SV was subjected to the GREENFLEET Explorer EV Rally 2025 in the UK. This was no gentle hypermiling exercise but a five-day, 1,043-mile (over 1,670 km) trial designed to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Three SV vans were handed over to a mix of journalists, fleet managers, and potential customers. The vans were put to work, not coddled. One was loaded with event equipment, another was fitted with a bespoke racking system, and a third was tasked with powering a refrigerator for the entire rally using its 3.3kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) system. Add two to three people and their luggage per vehicle, and you have a legitimate real-world scenario, complete with challenging terrain and adverse weather across motorways, rural lanes, and congested city centres.
Independent telematics data captured during the rally revealed something remarkable. Two of the three vans exceeded their official Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) efficiency ratings. The largest L3H3 model (106kWh battery)** was the star performer, achieving an average efficiency of **2.402 miles/kWh. This is a stunning 9.7% better than its official WLTP figure. The mid-size L2H2 model (83kWh battery) also beat its rating, coming in 1.5% over its official WLTP number. The smallest L1H1 model was just 7.25% shy of its homologated figure—a result most EV drivers would be delighted with in daily use.
Calum James, General Manager of Farizon UK, noted the significance of these results: "People are used to taking the official range and efficiency stats with a pinch of salt, so I’m very proud that the data collected demonstrates just how efficient the Farizon SV is in the real-world… The resulting message is clear: the SV will deliver for businesses, day after day."
This level of performance is no accident. Farizon designed the SV from a clean sheet with a singular mission: to be the most efficient 3.5-tonne van on the planet. They achieved this through a multi-pronged strategy.
Aggressive Lightweighting: Every component was scrutinised to save weight. This includes advanced materials for the body and an innovative cell-to-pack battery design that eliminates unnecessary modules. The result is a van that is a claimed 38.5kg lighter than its nearest competitor, making it the lightest in its class. Slippery Aerodynamics: The SV’s body was optimised in a wind tunnel to achieve a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.29. This is exceptional for a large commercial vehicle, putting it on par with many passenger cars and allowing it to slice through the air with minimal effort. Hyper-Efficient Drivetrain:The electric motor achieves up to 94.2% efficiency, wasting very little energy as heat. Furthermore, a liquid cooling and heating system manages the battery, keeping it at its ideal operating temperature for maximum performance and longevity, regardless of the weather—a crucial factor for performance in both the heat of a Northland summer and the cold of a Southland winter.
These results represent confidence. Confidence that the van you buy will do the job you need it to, day in and day out. With a WLTP combined range of up to 397 km and a city range of up to 550 km (depending on the model), the SV is a genuine workhorse. For a Kiwi operator, that city range could mean multiple days of deliveries across Auckland or Wellington on a single charge. The powerful 170 kW (231 PS) motor ensures it remains responsive even when fully laden. The V2L capability demonstrated by powering a fridge for five days is a game-changer for tradies, caterers, and mobile technicians, effectively turning the vehicle into a mobile power source on the job site. This combination of class-leading efficiency, impressive range, and practical features suggests a potentially very low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for businesses looking to make a smart, sustainable investment. The Farizon SV has thrown down the gauntlet, proving that the era of compromise-free electric commercial vehicles is here.
Now, the only question is, when will we see them proving themselves on Kiwi roads?
