French automotive giant Groupe PSA revealed last week that its electric Light Commercial Vehicle was awarded the 2021 International Van of the Year award, the second consecutive year the company has won the award.
Sold across Groupe PSA’s four brands as the Peugeot e-Expert, Citroën ë-Jumpy, Opel Vivaro-e, and Vauxhall Vivaro-e, the award was decided by a jury of 24 independent journalists and experts from 24 European countries and Russia.
Groupe PSA also won the 2019 International Van of the Year award for its Peugeot Partner, Citroën Berlingo van, Opel Combo, and Vauxhall Combo range, but this year’s win for its new electric van beat out diesel models from Ford and Mercedes Benz and an electric model from Mercedes Benz.
“The PSA- quartet are the first electric vans in the market, to be sold across Europe with a range of more than 300 kilometres,” said Jarlath Sweeney, Chairman of the IVOTY jury comments the jury’s decision
“They are solidly built with great driveability and except for the lesser noise-levels, there isn’t much separating the drive feeling from a diesel version.
“With the all-electric version of their compact van, the PSA-quartet gives a tremendous push for e-mobility in professional businesses and forces the democratization and scaling of the emission-free transport.”
“And so, PSA’s e-vans are setting a new standard – and pushing progress. That’s what a worthy ‘International Van of the Year’ title holder has to deliver. Even more so when each PSA brand has developed electric derivates from panel van to people-carrier shuttle bus and offers almost the same payload and load area.”
“The new EV vans quartet from PSA carry forward the concept of maximum integration between electric and internal combustion engine platforms. Their range is such that they could be attractive through different business as well as last mile delivery.”
Groupe PSA’s all-electric version of its Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) van for all four brands is assembled at the company’s Hordain plant in northern France and equipped with electric powertrains assembled at the Trémery plant in the country’s east.
Offering two electric batteries with different driving ranges – a 70kWh battery with up to 230 kilometres in range, and a 75kWh battery with up to 330 kilometres – the vans began marketing in mid-2020 and, according to Groupe PSA, 1,300 vehicles have already been delivered from October 2020.
The vans also boast towing capacity of 1,000kg and a payload of 1,275kg, and the same loading volume as the company’s ICE version of up to 6.6 m³.
“Groupe PSA is very proud and happy to receive this prestigious International Van of the Year 2021 award and I warmly thank the jury members for having selected our vehicle,” said Xavier Peugeot, Senior Vice-President of Groupe PSA’s Light Commercial Vehicles Business Unit.
“This award confirms the success of our Compact Van and the relevance of the electrification strategy we have designed for our LCV range – in which electrification means no compromises for our customers.”
The win for Groupe PSA comes not long after the company announced plans to launch all-electric versions of another of the company’s compact vans – the Peugeot e-Partner, Citroën ë-Berlingo van, Opel Combo-e, and Vauxhall Combo-e – completing the electrification of its line of compact vans and associated passenger vehicles.
“With these all-electric versions of compact vans and associated passenger cars, Groupe PSA is continuing its electrification offensive and now offers a completely electrified LCV portfolio without compromises on performance,” said Xavier Peugeot, speaking earlier in December.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.