One of the highlights at the recent Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC in Birmingham was the premier of the electric Farizon SV (SuperVan), which created much interest and curiosity regarding the product and brand itself. Confidence was immediate in discovering that the parent company, the Geely Holding Group is one of the biggest automotive corporations in China and owners of top marques such as Volvo cars, Polestar, Proton, LECV and Lotus among others.
To give the company its full name, the Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group (China) has five plants in its home country. Its shield logo relates to strength in steel but is actually three letters: T, U and O, merged together. The T stands for technology, the U = User-experience, and the O = Zero emissions.
As and from this Summer, Farizon is coming to Ireland, imported and distributed through MMC Commercials, the Frank Keane Group company, long time associated with BMW, Mini, Mitsubishi and Fuso Trucks and more recently MG, another Chinese brand that gained instant traction when introduced into the Irish market. MMC will market the Farizon commercial through strategically located dealers around Ireland.
Previewed by Fleet Transport during its Green Commercials Awards Test Days, the all-new born-electric Farizon SV heralds a number of unique features and advanced innovations, including drive-by-wire technology, a unique B-pillarless design and cell-to-pack battery packaging, which combine to deliver market-leading cargo capacity, payload, range and an ultra-low loading height. But that’s not all, SV comes in a single highly-specified trim level that includes a unique payload monitoring system, heated seats, heated multifunction steering wheel, heated windscreen, 360-degree surround view, and a comprehensive array of ADAS safety systems. Also significant is that the SV has also earned the highest Platinum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
When developing the 3.5-tonne GVW SV, Farizon engineers undertook 2.8 million kilometres of pre-production testing.
The model line-up includes the option of 67 kWh, 83 kWh or 106 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, with one efficient, all-electric powertrain available, which produces 170 kW (231 PS) of power and 336 Nm of torque. The SV delivers a WLTP range of up to 551 km (city), and up to 400 km (combined), while a 20 to 80 per cent top-up charge can be completed in as little as 30 minutes. The SV is rated to tow up to two tonnes with a braked trailer.
Other vital statistics include: Overall lengths from 4990 to 5490 mm; Wheelbases from 3100 to 3600 mm, Width – 1980 mm, Payload from 1170 to 1480 kg, Front and rear disc brakes, McPherson leaf springs, 16’ tyres. Notable too is that the aerodynamic drag is ultra -low at 0.29 cd and that 145 mm super thin battery pack allows for more load volume – 6.95 m3 for the low roof version and up to 11.2 m3 for the high roof type.
