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NEWS
Shock value for French vans
Citroen and Peugeot to shock delivery market with new electric Berlingo and Partner vansFrench brands Peugeot and Citroen will unveil all-electric versions of their respective Partner and Berlingo delivery vans at this week’s Hanover commercial vehicle show.
Both small battery-electric vans will go on sale in Europe in the second quarter of next year but there’s no news yet on whether either version has a future in Australia, where Renault’s direct rival in the Kangoo ZE is under consideration.
Australia’s current Citroen importer, Ateco Automotive, which has handled the Gallic marque locally for the past 18 years, is due to hand back the franchise in January 2013 and Malaysia-based multinational, Sime Darby - the local Peugeot importer - is all but confirmed to also assume responsibility for sister brand Citroen.
Sime Darby has an extensive automotive footprint in the Asia-Pacific region and has handled the distribution of Peugeot automobiles in Australia since 2001.
Housing both French brands under one roof would make obvious sense, given that they’ve effectively been twinned since a 1976 merger, which created the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group.
Ateco Automotive Public Relations Manager, Edward Rowe, told motoring.com.au he was unable to comment on Citroen beyond January 2013, “because we won’t be the importer.”
“Any decision on it (the Berlingo EV) coming to Australia will be for the new importer,” Mr Rowe said.
He explained that the changes in Australian distribution of Citroen are part of a global rationalisation at PSA Peugeot Citroen, which is moving to merge separate distributors in various markets to create a more streamlined operation.
Citroen distributors in the UK, Germany and Italy had already been folded into Peugeot import and distribution channels, with more to come, Mr Rowe said.
Fellow French car-maker Renault has its own electric van, the Kangoo ZE, firmly on its radar and “continues to work on a local business case with head office,” said Renault Australia Corporate Communications Manager, Emily Ambrosy.
Citroen says the second-generation Berlingo electric van reaffirms its commitment to EVs and is further proof of the brand’s determination to reduce the environmental impact of its cars and LCVs.
Significantly, the Berlingo’s two-part battery pack is installed under the vehicle’s flat load deck, so that the load compartment is identical to the one found in the traditionally powered models. That means a 4.1 cubic-metre load volume and a 675kg payload capacity.
The various other parts of the electric powertrain are contained under the bonnet or beneath other areas of the body shell, which means that the electric Berlingo is not compromised in terms of load volume or carrying capacity.
With a total battery capacity of 22.5kWh, the electric Berlingo boasts a range of up to 170km. It can be charged either via normal charge, mode which takes between six and 12 hours, or a 30 minute quick-charge mode that charges the batteries to 80 per cent of their capacity.
The Berlingo’s electric motor was developed by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and has a maximum power output of 49kW and maximum torque of 200Nm. Its power is transmitted to the front wheels through a speed reducer and a single-ratio gearbox.
PSA Peugeot Citroen has a substantial existing partnership with Mitsubishi, having established a joint-venture with the Japanese car-maker in 2010 to manufacture badge-engineered versions of its Mitsubishi i-MiEV for its own European markets.
Citroen’s rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV is sold in Europe as the Citroen C-ZERO, while the Peugeot version is called the iOn.
At the time, PSA and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation said they would also conduct a feasibility study centred on the “development and supply of powertrains for electric vehicles, including an analysis on the packaging of batteries and its business viability.”
The feasibility study applied specifically to light commercial vehicles and the new Berlingo and Partner EVs appear to be two of the first fruits of that relationship.
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Written byGed Bulmer
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