PSA will soon expand its electric technology into the lower end of the commercial vehicle segment, with a new Citroen Berlingo EV

This is the pure-electric Citroen e-Berlingo. It’s PSA’s latest all-electric small van, which is due to go on sale in the UK during winter this year. It’ll soon be joined by electric versions of the Vauxhall Combo and Peugeot Partner, providing PSA with three new rivals for the Nissan eNV200 and Renault Kangoo ZE. 

Like its larger sibling, the Citroen e-Dispatch, the e-Berlingo is based on PSA’s EMP2 underpinnings (at least at the front end, where the powertrain sits), so it shares the same 134bhp electric motor and 50kWh battery pack. The platform gives the Berlingo a maximum claimed range of 171 miles and a top speed of 81mph.

• New electric vans 2020 and beyond

As the two vans share the same tech, their charge times are identical. So, when connected to a 100kW DC fast-charger, the e-Berlingo’s battery pack can recover an 80 percent charge in around 30 minutes. When plugged into a 7.4kW wall box charger, the system can take on a full charge in around seven and a half hours.

Citroen has also mounted the e-Berlingo’s battery pack under the van’s floor, which means it retains the same carrying capacity as the petrol powered version. Buyers will have their choice of two body styles, the largest of which has a maximum capacity of 4.4 cubic metres and a maximum payload of 800kg.

Buyers can also have the electric Berlingo with Citroen’s split-folding front bench seat and a load-through flap for the rear partition, which allows longer items to be transported inside the vehicle. The electric van’s cabin also has 113 litres-worth of storage bins.

Some updates have been made to the Berlingo’s interior, to suit the needs of the electric powertrain. There’s a new three-stage drive mode selector and a revised version of the standard van’s five-inch infotainment system, which features a dedicated display to provide information on the remaining range and the battery’s charge state.

Other available equipment includes keyless entry and start, front parking sensors, hill start assist, a reversing camera and an electric parking brake. Buyers also get a comprehensive level of safety equipment, which includes an active safety brake, lane keeping assist, a traffic sign recognition system and trailer assist system.

Citroen even offers a couple of new optional extras which are unique to the e-Berlingo. This includes a colour head-up display and a customisable 10-inch touchscreen tablet, which can be used for navigation.

What do you make of the new Citroen e-Berlingo? Let us know in the comments section below…

Source: Read Full Article