PSA to electrify compact van line-up from next year

PSA has confirmed that the Peugeot Partner, Citroen Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo will all receive pure-electric derivatives before 2021 draws to a close. The decision forms part of the French firm’s pledge to offer a fully electrified portfolio within the next five years.

The three vans will feature the same 134bhp electric motor and 50kWh battery pack used by the Peugeot e-Expert, Citroen e-Dispatch and Vauxhall Vivaro-e, in addition to passenger vehicles like the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Corsa E. Like the existing trio of electric vans, the new models are based on the same EMP2 underpinnings, so they should receive the same range of chassis and technology tweaks to accompany the EV powertrain.

Official performance and range figures are yet to be confirmed – but given the three vans will feature the same battery pack as the entry-level Peugeot e-Expert, we expect they should at least match its claimed 148-mile figure.

Charge times should also be comparable, as the three models will be available with the same 11kWh charging capability as the e-Expert. So, using a domestic wallbox charger, all three compact vans should be able to recover a full charge in around five hours.

Like PSA’s mid-sized commercial vehicles, these new compact electric vans should offer the same carrying capacity as their diesel-powered siblings, as the pure-electric version of the EMP2 platform mounts its battery packs under the vehicle’s floor. 

As such, cargo volume should be identical for the three new models, at between 3.3 and 3.8 cubic metres – although the vans’ maximum payload weight will likely reduce over the diesel’s impressive 1,009kg figure, due to the constraints of the EV running gear.

Finally, PSA has also confirmed that it will offer pure-electric versions of the three vans’ MPV derivatives – the Rifter, Berlingo and Combo Life people carriers.

What do you make of PSA’s new pure-electric compact vans? Let us know in the comments section below…