Citroen provides electric vans to Big Issue Group

Big Issue Group has added 16 electric Citroen vans to its distribution fleet, as part of a new three-year partnership between the two brands.

The e-Berlingo and e-Dispatch vans will initially be used in towns and cities including Bournemouth, Bristol, Bath, Norwich and Newcastle, with more vans to be added to the fleet over the next three years.

One of the Big Issue Group’s key aims is to make its delivery process more sustainable and to tackle its carbon emissions.

Russell Blackman, Big Issue Group’s managing director of commercial, said: “Citroën's market-leading approach to innovation and affordability of electric vehicles is the exact reason why they are the ideal partner to work with Big Issue Group.

“Our partnership will allow us to make even greater strides in the support and services we provide for the most marginalised across the country. In cities and remote, rural locations, we will be able to respond quickly when our vendors need us the most. At Big Issue Group we are excited for the next three years working alongside Citroën to drive change for good.”

The Big Issue Group fleet transports more than 2m magazines to 3,300 vendors in a year, covering in excess of 350,000 miles annually across the UK.

The e-Berlingo Van offers load volumes up to 4.4 cubic metres and payloads up to 803Kg. With a 50kWh battery and a 136PS electric motor, it has a zero-emission range of up to 171 miles (WLTP). The e-Dispatch offers up to 205 miles of range (WLTP) and provides operators with a payload of up to 1,004Kg. Both vehicles support up to 100kW rapid (DC) charging, with a 0-80% charge taking 30 minutes.

Eurig Druce, Citroen UK’s managing director, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Big Issue Group in their important work ‘changing lives through enterprise’, and in particular to support their transition to electric vehicles so they can become more sustainable. BIG is a fantastic organisation that has been working to improve people’s lives for over 30 years by providing work opportunities – a hand up, not a handout is a philosophy we can definitely get behind. I can’t wait to see these vans out on the road, being used as sustainable electric workhorses in support of the Big Issue workforce.”