Dutch Flynt bets on 500 km range to shake up EU’s commercial van market

Is Europe’s light commercial vehicle market poised for disruption? Flynt, a Dutch-based startup with Chinese manufacturing muscle, unveils its first fully electric van. With its blend of European market insight and Chinese EV technology, the newcomer is betting big on clean urban logistics while meeting the hard-nosed demands of fleet operators.

The company’s first model, a boxy purpose-built electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV), promises up to 500 kilometers of range, a payload capacity of 1,630 kilograms, and a loading volume of 16.5 cubic meters.

It’s a bold debut aimed squarely at a market segment that relies heavily on diesel (84.5% last year) and lags behind passenger vehicles in electrification.

“This isn’t a retrofitted diesel van,” Flynt CEO and co-founder Dr. Daniel Kirchert said during the vehicle’s unveiling. “It’s a ground-up electric platform designed to meet the real-world needs of European fleets.”

Kirchert, a former Byton executive with deep roots in China’s EV sector, has led the company’s strategy to marry cutting-edge Chinese battery technology with European design and market demands.

The right timing

Flynt’s timing couldn’t be more pointed. Europe’s light commercial vehicle segment, responsible for more than 91 million tons of CO₂ annually, continues to be a major contributor to urban emissions. But electrification rates are marginal. According to the ACEA, electric vans accounted for no more than 2% of new registrations in 2024 in the EU, down 9.1% compared to the year before. 

If Kirchert believes Flynt can help bridge that gap, then how? “Europe needs commercial EVs that deliver on performance, cost, and sustainability,” he said. Therefore, the van’s specs read like a wishlist for fleet operators: 800-volt system architecture for rapid DC charging at up to 220 kW (30-80% in under 20 minutes), and energy consumption pegged at 20 kWh per 100 kilometers. 

The flagship version carries a 100 kWh NCM battery, while more cost-sensitive versions use LFP packs, offering flexibility across fleet needs. Bidirectional charging, with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, is also built in, giving fleet owners more options for integrating the vans into their energy ecosystems.

Light-asset manufacturer

Rather than building its own factories, Flynt has partnered with MiracoMotor, a Guangzhou-based EV manufacturer spun off from China’s GAC Group. This collaboration allows Flynt to remain agile, focusing on product design, customer experience, and service infrastructure while leveraging China’s manufacturing speed and battery expertise. It’s the light asset model that Polestar also adopted in the premium passenger car category.

“China leads the world in EV technology, from batteries to software and production efficiency,” Kirchert noted. “Our partnership with MiracoMotor gives us a competitive edge that traditional automakers can’t easily replicate.”

Flynt is rolling out a digital-first sales and service platform designed to streamline everything from vehicle configuration and ordering to fleet management and aftersales support. The goal is to offer a seamless, end-to-end customer journey tailored specifically to fleet operators’ needs. 

“We’re not just building vehicles—we’re building an ecosystem,” said Moritz Klinkisch, Flynt’s Chief Commercial Officer and a former BMW executive. “Fleet customers need reliability, uptime, and transparency. Our digital tools and local service partnerships ensure we can deliver all three.”

Customer deliveries in 2026

Flynt plans to launch in 26 European markets, starting with Germany and Norway. There’s no news yet on a Belgian branch. Prototypes will arrive in Europe by mid-2025 for pilot programs, with full-scale customer deliveries set for the first half of 2026.

Flynt’s entry into the market comes as major players ramp up their own electric LCV offerings. Established names like Mercedes-Benz (eSprinter), Ford (e-Transit), and Iveco (eDaily) already hold significant market share.

Adding to the competition, Flexis—a new joint venture between Renault, Volvo Group, and CMA CGM—is set to launch its software-derived electric van around the same time. Will Flynt manage to carve out its own space?