Electrification of vehicles will need more than just passenger cars to transition towards EVs. Delivery vans make up a large number of daily trips across the country but there aren’t too many electric delivery van models available.
Peugeot is about to change that with the e-Partner Van and it plans to land it here in the first half of this year.
The Partner is Peugeot’s smallest van currently offered in Australia. This popular Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) will be the brand’s first fully electric vehicle for sale here.
The e-Partner will be introduced locally as one long-wheelbase variant that’s based on EMP2 (Efficient Modular Platform).
The e-Partner under this platform will deliver 100 kW of power and 260 Nm of torque. The electric motor is fed by a 50 kWh battery pack.
“We are delighted to announce the e-Partner is on its way to Australia and will be our first fully electric vehicle to be offered locally,” the managing director of Peugeot Australia, Kate Gillis, said in a statement.
“We are confident that the arrival of our first electric vehicle will provide new avenues for growth for the brand as well as further choice for discerning Peugeot LCV customers wanting to make the move to electric.”
Peugeot is calling it the first step in its electrification journey in Australia. It also plans to offer more electrified variants across LCV, passenger and SUV models in the coming years. Drive reports that the e-2008, a small SUV, has already received approval although timing of its release is not clear.
Pricing and full specifications of the Peugeot e-Partner will be announced closer to when it goes on sale in the coming months.
Customers can register their interest in the new e-Partner on Peugeot Australia’s website.
Unlike ICE options, the Peugeot e-Partner will be a more quieter and comfortable option for delivery businesses to consider for their driving staff who drive for hours every day in their van’s workspace.
We look forward to test-driving the e-Partner when it reaches our shores later in the year. It’s a positive step for the delivery industry in Australia.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.