Citroën presents: ë-Berlingo Van, the electric, connected version of its light utility vehicle, which will be available in dealerships in the second half of 2021.
ë-Berlingo Van satisfies professionals’ day-to-day requirements, offering great freedom of action, in increasingly regulated urban environments, but also in semi-urban or rural environments, due to its range of up to 275 km* (WLTP cycle). ë-Berlingo Van comes with all the benefits of electric driving, and it makes no compromises with Berlingo’s legendary qualities, and is still available in four bodywork configurations, with a load volume of up to 4.4 m3, loading capacity of up to 800 kg and all the modularity of the Extenso® cabin.
ë-Berlingo Van is connected to the MyCitroën application, meaning that battery charging can be controlled remotely, and to the Free2Move application, giving access to more than 220,000 charging stations in Europe. It also offers options for new technologies, such as a head-up display, a first in this market category, and a unit with a new 10″ high-definition digital pad.
Citroën presents ë-Berlingo Van, the electric version of its light utility vehicle, offering more productivity for professional clients, through the use of completely new technologies, with no change to its exemplary modularity and loading capacity, and all the benefits of electric driving.
“Citroën Berlingo Van, the standard-bearer in the small van market, is renowned for its practicality, which has given rise to many innovations. By adopting the best of electric vehicle technology, it is offering professionals even quieter operation. With ë-Berlingo Van, they will find the ideal partner to accomplish their daily missions in unrivalled comfort, with great freedom of movement and control of operating costs, without any compromise in terms of load and volume. After ë-Jumpy, which was voted International Van Of The Year, and ë-Jumper, ë-Berlingo Van is an important link in our electrical offensive, and a tangible response to the new mobility challenges for all professionals. ” Vincent Cobée, Citroën Managing Director
*Values pending approval
01 – Ë-BERLINGO VAN: QUIETNESS AS STANDARD, USING ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
THE RANGE REQUIRED TO PERFORM DAILY TASKS
Depending on the driving profile, ë-Berlingo Van’s 50kWh lithium-ion battery can enable contractors to make journeys or rounds of up to 275km (1) on a single charge. The two ë-Berlingo Van versions once again use the power chain of Group PSA’s e-CMP platform, and have the same battery capacity, providing range which is sufficient for the daily travel of the vast majority of users in this segment.
(1): values pending approval
To maximise range, ë-Berlingo Van’s power chain regenerates energy during phases of braking or deceleration of the vehicle. For enhanced energy regeneration, the “B” button in the central console can be pressed. The battery is located under the seats and the loading floor of the vehicle. It thus has no impact on the load volume. It is guaranteed for 8 years or 160.000km (with 70% of battery capacity at the end of this guarantee period). A battery capacity certificate is issued after an inspection after 1 year or 20.000km, and then after each service, which is carried out after every 2 years or 40.000km.
CALM DRIVING IN ELECTRIC MODE
With ë-Berlingo Van, each journey becomes a time for the passengers to relax. The vehicle starts to move in a very fluid way, due to the fact that its torque is immediately available, and to the linearity of the acceleration, with no change of gears. The electric power chain generates no noise or vibration. Each journey therefore feels very gentle. And these qualities are in addition to the on-board comfort provided by high seats, the suspension type, which allows precise guidance, which is damped, plus the ease of steering, and the 10.8m diameter turning circle.
ë-Berlingo Van is powered by an electric motor which manages traction depending on the selected driving mode and the driving conditions. Its 100kW power rating (136hp)/260N.m means that it can reach a maximum speed of 130km/h, regardless of the mode used. These various modes can be selected via a specific control in the console:
Normal – 80kW/180N.m.: provides the ideal compromise between autonomy and dynamic services,
Eco – 60kW/190N.m.: enables energy consumption to be optimised by reducing use of heating and air conditioning, without however deactivating them, and by reducing the motor torque and power,
Power – 100kW/260N.m.: allows vehicle performance for greater comfort and performance under maximum load conditions.
RECHARGING TIME SUITABLE FOR PROFESSIONAL USE
There are three charging possibilities, from simple standard socket charging to super-fast charging, which enables 80% of the battery to be charged in 30 minutes. However, a simple Green’Up socket enables a large proportion of the battery to be charged overnight, making it operational for a day’s work.
Domestic charging, requiring a mode 2 cable (mass produced in France) for use at home or in a place of work or vehicle park. This charging mode is compatible with a standard 8A socket or an enhanced 16A socket (Green’Up unit + socket), which halves the recharging time, and enabling a 100% charged battery to be obtained in less than 15 hours, or 5 hours 30 minutes for 100km.
Private or public fast charging, requiring installation of a 3.7 to 22 kW Wallbox fast charging unit, and a mode 3 cable (optional). The charging time from 0 to 100% is then 7 hours 30 minutes (monophase 7.4 kW Wall Box) or 5 hours (triphase 11kW Wall Box).
Super-fast charging at a public station, up to 100kW with mode 4 cable integrated in the charger. Enables 80% of the 50kWh battery to be charged in 30 minutes. ë-Berlingo Van is in the first rank of its market segment in terms of fast charging time.
AN ECOSYSTEM TO FACILITATE ELECTRIC DRIVING LIFE
ë-Berlingo Van offers delayed charging functions, so that electricity can be consumed when it is least expensive, and thermal preconditioning, enabling the temperature in the cabin to be adjusted when the power is still connected to the mains, meaning that power is not then drawn from the battery.
Using the My Citroën application, battery charging can be managed remotely, the vehicle’s charge level and autonomy can be seen remotely, thermal preconditioning of the cabin can be controlled remotely, and finally delayed charging can be configured from a smartphone or tablet, or directly using the vehicle’s touchscreen, using connected browsing, in the “Energy” menu. This operation is possible for domestic charging (mode 2) or fast charging (mode 3). Delayed charging can be modified instantaneously.
Another available application, Free2Move, which facilitates charging and parking (in France), giving access to over 220,000 stations, and enabling the best journey to be planned in light of the vehicle’s range, and the charging stations present along the route (including recharging breaks, total charging time, type of socket, means of access to the station, etc.).
To go one step further in offering support for its clients, for ë-Berlingo Van Citroën offers a customised charging solution, including the devices (standard socket and enhanced Green’Up or Wallbox socket) and installation in your home or in the workplace. The Company has chosen a recommended partner for each European country; for France this is ZEBorne and Zeplug. These solutions are available for individuals and professionals, both in individual homes and for collective housing.
SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE Ë-BERLINGO VAN
ë-Berlingo Van is a fully-fledged version of the Berlingo range, which differs externally only in that it has a monogram symbolising the electric “ë” before its name on the left rear door, and in its charging flap, which is located where the fuel-filler flap was.
Inside, everything has been designed to make using the New Citroën ë-Berlingo Van easy. In the central console, an ë-Toggle switch controls the gearbox, using the Park, Rear, Neutral, Drive and Break functions, together with a selector enabling the 3 driving modes to be activated: Eco, Normal and Power. ë-Berlingo Van’s 5″ touch screen has an “Energy” item in its menu, which gives access to the vehicle’s electric features: the energy flow (which shows the electric power chain operating in real time with the active driving mode, the electric motor, and the charge level of the traction battery), consumption statistics, and activation of delayed charging or thermal preconditioning.
A customisable device with a high-definition 10″ digital pad and a head-up display are available as options, for optimum display quality, and modern and fast retrieval of assisted driving and navigation data.
02 – ALL THE BENEFITS OF BERLINGO VAN, PLUS ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
Berlingo Van, which is now available in an electric version, has been a standard-bearer in the small vans segment for three generations, where it has innovated constantly to meet market expectations. Berlingo Van was the first van with integrated cabin, a diesel version, three front seats, an electric parking brake and, more recently, an overload indicator, in the latest generation. It is the ideal partner for professionals, and over 1.6 million models have been sold since 1996 throughout the world.
TOP CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE MARKET SEGMENT
New Citroën ë-Berlingo Van has all the assets of the architecture of the internal combustion version. This commercial vehicle is compact, but provides modularity, ergonomics, an internal space, storage units, and an optimised loading capacity, making it an ideal working tool.
ë-Berlingo Van can transport two or three persons, and comes in two sizes: M, measuring 4.40m, and XL, measuring 4.75m. It comprises two families of commercial vehicles: small van, available in M or XL size, and small van with lengthened cabin, available in XL size. The vehicle is 1.84 m high, and can enter all parking locations.
It is easy to handle and agile due to its compactness, but nonetheless has a long loading length, due to the possibility of folding down the passenger seat in the Extenso® Cabin, releasing up to 3.09m in the M Size and 3.44m in the XL Size
With an effective width between the wheel arches of 1.23m, ë-Berlingo Van can carry two Euro pallets one behind the other. Its load volume, which is the same as in the internal combustion version, is 3.3m3 (XS without Extenso® Cabin), and up to 4.4m3 (XL with Extenso® cabin). The payload, up to 800kg, and the towable load, up to 750kg, in all versions, match precisely the needs of professionals in this category.
MODULARITY AND STORAGE UNITS
The electric version makes no compromises in terms of modularity and storage units. It also offers the Extenso® cabin, a Citroën innovation with three real seats in the front, the central seat being wider, and great modularity, meaning that there are various possible configurations, depending on requirements. The van’s internal partition is fitted with a hatch for the transport of long loads, facilitated by the folding passenger seat. The passenger seat can also be pivoted upwards to release more loading space, and, if folded down, the back of the central seat can be used as a mobile office, with its integrated swivelling writing surface. Finally, the cabin of ë-Berlingo Van provides 113 litres of clever and ergonomic storage distributed throughout the cabin.
EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR CALMNESS AT ALL TIMES
ASSISTED DRIVING AND MANOEUVRING SYSTEMS
Best In Class – the ë-Berlingo Van includes 18 useful technologies, for safe and calm driving for professionals at all times. To make driving easier the ë-Berlingo Van offers, in particular, hands-free opening and starting, a colour head-up display (completely new in this market segment), hill start assist, front parking sensors, a reversing camera with surround rear vision, intelligent beam headlights, an electric parking brake and an overload indicator (completely new in this segment). For greater safety it includes an active Safety Brake, active lane departure warning system, driver attention alert, collision risk alert, tow coupling stability control, a Grip Control with Hill Assist Descent, enhanced extended trafic sign recognition and recommendation, and also its blind spot monitoring system.
CONNECTED SERVICES
New Citroën ë-Berlingo Van offers 3 connected solutions for greater safety and comfort for all. These solutions form an integral part of the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme, and have been developed to facilitate access to the connected services, which must be fast and intuitive.
CONNECT ASSIST
For the safety of the driver and passengers, New Citroën ë-Berlingo Van includes Assistance & SOS.
Automatic calling or manual pressing using the “Assistance” button: when required, this service enables a driver to be connected to a dedicated call centre. Connect Assist gives access to vehicle data, such as the charge level, remaining range, delayed charging, thermal preconditioning, parking location, mileage, and the next maintenance. Data can be accessed and displayed using the My Citroën application.
CONNECT NAV
Touch-based Connect Nav navigation can also be controlled by voice recognition, and allows interaction with the following areas: Navigation, Telephone, Radio. It is associated with connected services. TomTom Traffic can provide traffic data in real time, to find the best route. The locations and prices of service stations and vehicle parks, weather information and local searches for points of interest are also available.
CONNECT PLAY
Mirror Screen technology, compatible with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto, lets the driver connect a smartphone, and duplicate its screen on that of the vehicle. Multimedia content can be accessed, and your smartphone and compatible applications can be controlled directly and easily from the vehicle’s touch pad.
Citroën ë-Berlingo Van provides a solution for professionals’ mobility issues, and greater quietness in their day-to-day activities. It will be in dealerships in the second half of 2021.