The Volkswagen e-load up! electric van is still a concept, but VW says a van version of the up! could make it into production if there’s enough demand.

One of the most ‘wrong’ posts I’ve ever written was one suggesting that small car-derived vans like the Fiesta Van had had their day.

The post was triggered by the news that Peugeot was to discontinue its 207 Van model, but since then, a number of new car-derived vans have hit the market — not least the gorgeous and desirable MINI Clubvan.

Volkswagen has now upped the ante with a suggestion that it might put a van version of its up! small car into production. To tantalise would-be buyers, its put an electric-powered concept model on display at the current IAA motor show in Frankfurt.

Catchily named the ‘e-load up!’ (they might need to work on that…), the e-load up! is aimed at the city courier, technician and pizza delivery market. Volkswagen says that the up! van would be suitable for all types of drive system and thus could be made available as a regular diesel-powered van, too.

The idea is simple, and very apt, given today’s sky-high fuel prices: a small van that’s full can operate more efficiently than a larger van that isn’t full.

Volkswagen has already prepared an electric production version of the up!, called the e-up!, so converting this to a van wasn’t a massive challenge and it certainly could work well.

Compared to the passenger model, the cargo capacity of the load up! rises from 951 litres to more than 1,400 litres. Maximum payload is 306 kg, which should be ample for the kind of load and usage it is likely to get in a city environment. The electric power train is slick and impressive, according to Autocar, which has tested a pre-production e-up!, and should have a range of in excess of 100 miles.

This isn’t the first electric concept van Volkswagen has rolled out at a motor show, but something tells me that the up! van might make it into production. Volkswagen says that given the right level of demand, a commercial vehicle version of the up!, such as the e-load up!, could be available soon. Watch this space.