Peugeot, Citroen, Opel electric vans to launch this year

PSA Group has released details and specifications for the battery-electric versions of its midsize vans from Peugeot, Citroen and Opel/Vauxhall.

The models — the Peugeot e-Expert, Citroen e-Jumpy (e-Dispatch in the UK) and Opel/Vauxhall e-Vivaro — will be launched in the second half of this year; prices have not yet been announced.

The vans will be offered with two battery sizes: 50 kilowatt hours, with a WLTP range of 230 km (143 miles); and 75 kWh, with a range of 330 km. The batteries have an eight-year, 160,000 km warranty (up to 70 percent of charging capacity). 

Charging times from a 7.4 kilowatt wall box are 7.5 hours (50 kWh battery) or 11 hours 20 minutes (75 kWh battery). A 100 kw charging station will charge the battery 80 percent in 30 (50 kWh) or 45 minutes (75 kWh). A charging port is on the front left fender.

The vans are available in compact (4600 mm), standard (4950 mm) and long (5300 mm) sizes, and can be adapted by conversion companies to specific uses. Battery-electric versions have the same interior volume, which ranges from 5.1 to 6.6 square meters, as combustion versions. 
 
Payload for the standard size ranges from 1,001 kg (2,200 lbs) to 1,238 kg, depending on options, slightly less than internal-combustion versions.

PSA says it is aiming the vans at tradespeople, environmentally-minded businesses such as delivery services, and municipal agencies. Competitors include the Nissan e-NV200, with 2,097 sales in the first quarter of 2020, and the Renault Kangoo ZE, with 1,874 sales. 

The vans are based on PSA’s EMP2 platform, for small and compact vehicles. PSA says the vans’ drivetrains are similar to electric versions of the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa small hatchbacks and Peugeot 2008 and DS 3 small SUVs.

The vans will be built at PSA’s factory in Hordain, northern France. The factory also makes the Toyota Proace, which will gain an electric version at a later date.

Maximum power is 100 kilowatts and 260 newton meters of torque. The vans have a top speed of 130 kph (84 mph), and can go from 0 to 100 kph in 13.1 seconds. To alert pedestrians to their presence, the electric vans emit a sound up to 30 kph. 

The differences between the electric and internal-combustion versions are primarily noticeable in the interior. A toggle switch controls transmission functions, including a regenerative braking mode. There are three drive modes: Eco (60 kilowatts/190 newton-meters of torque) Normal (80 kw/210nm) and Power (100 kw/260nm). 

Navigation services provided by TomTom will show charging stations, and there is an electric parking brake. The central touchscreen displays consumption statistics and lets drivers pre-heat or cool the cockpit.