Citroën plans to launch three new electric vans by 2021, starting with the Electric Relay at the beginning of 2020.
It will be closely followed by an electric Dispatch, with a new electric Berlingo coming in 2021.
Laurence Hansen, Citroën product and strategy director, said: “Citroën is a centenarian brand boasting nearly 90 years of expertise in light commercial vehicles. A leader in the energy transition and inspired by the needs of business customers, Citroën today is launching a major product offensive on the electrification of its light commercial vehicle range. The objective is to market an electrified version of each of its vans by 2021, benefitting from Groupe PSA’s finest knowledge and supplementing the efficient internal-combustion-engine range.”
This Citroën LCV range will follow the Groupe PSA electrification strategy, whereby all vehicles in its range will feature an electrified derivative in addition to petrol and diesel combustion engines. This strategy has been devised to give consumers the flexibility to choose their desired model and then the powertrain most relevant to them.
Citroën says the 100% electric version of Dispatch is designed for customers “seeking comfort and peace of mind at the wheel”, and it allows “companies to introduce a revolutionary new way to do business, conveying a positive image while protecting the environment”.
Using the Groupe PSA EMP2 multi-energy platform, the electric Dispatch will be offered with two battery sizes, offering different levels of range to suit differing customer needs. A 50kWh version will provide a 124-mile range and a 75kWh version will provide a 186-mile range.
Citroën is now the sixth best-selling LCV manufacturer in Europe with a market share of 9.2%, following strong performance from the key Citroën LCV models, Berlingo Van, Relay and Dispatch. In the UK, Citroën is enjoying above market growth of 9.8% in the nine months to the end of September 2019, against a UK LCV/HCV market that has grown 4% in the same period.
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Matt has been an automotive journalist for eight years. As senior staff writer he is responsible for the automotive content on Fleet News and also contributes to Automotive Management. Prior to this, Matt worked in the automotive industry for 10 years.
Stephen Eblet - 21/01/2020 20:19
A hybrid van would be a winner for me, working in both rural and urban environments. A pure electric van, isn't going to have the range I sometimes require, while buying diesel again, wouldn't help me to reduce my carbon footprint.