For the past 20 years or so, Citroën has been producing pure-electric commercial vehicles, including its C15, C25 and the first-generation Berlingo LCVs. The French marque will continue this tradition with the unveiling of the new Electric Berlingo at the 2012 Hanover Motor Show in Germany from September 18 to 27.
According to the automaker, the Electric Berlingo gives business users the opportunity to “project a positive image of their company and to advertise their desire to protect the environment” without losing anything in terms of practicality and space.
In the Berlingo, Citroën’s engineers have installed the various components of the electric powertrain under the front bonnet and beneath the body shell. For example, the two-part 22.5 kWh battery pack is mounted under the floor in the rear end of the vehicle, offering a perfectly flat load area.
As a result, the load volume of the Electric Berlingo can reach 4.1 m3 and the maximum weight capacity is 675kg (1,488 pounds), which are both identical to the internal combustion versions of Citroen’s LCV.
Motivations is provided by an electric motor that was developed with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation on the basis of their electric powertrain. The motor has a power output of 49kW (66hp) and 200Nm (148 lb-ft) and it drives the front wheels via a speed reducer.
The battery is said to offered a driving range of 170km or 106 miles and can be charged in normal model in 6 to 12 hours, depending on the available current, while in quick-charge mode, it can reach 80 percent of its capacity in only 30 minutes.
The Electric Berlingo comes equipped with some special features included hill start assist coupled to the ESP system, an eco-driving information display that includes an energy consumption/regeneration indicator and a deceleration and braking energy recovery system.
As with the internal combustion versions of the Berlingo, the Electric model will be available in two lengths, normal (4.38m) and long (4.63m) when it goes on sale in Europe in mid-2013.
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