Citroen premieres brand new electric Relay van

The CV Show 2019 was the chosen venue for the world premiere of the new Relay Electric, a zero-emission addition to Citroën’s large panel van.

The new Berlingo Van made its CV Show debut, giving visitors a chance to see the multi-award winning van for the first time. Citroën is celebrating its centenary year by displaying an iconic H-van, which had pioneering features that cast the mould for the panel vans of today.

The new Citroën Relay Electric made its international debut at the CV Show in Birmingham. It ran from 30 April to 2 May.

Groupe PSA has made a commitment to introduce plug-in hybrid or electric versions of all new models starting in 2019, with electrified variants of each model available by 2025.

The launch of the new Relay Electric at the CV Show 2019 is true to that promise, with the electrification of the largest vehicle in the range.

The Citroën Relay Electric on display at the show was an L1 H1 panel van.

The new Citroën Relay Electric models will be produced at the Sevel factory in Val di Sangro, Italy and converted by partner BD Auto.

Elsewhere on the Citroën stand, the new Berlingo Van – the reigning International Van of the Year – made its CV Show debut, giving visitors an opportunity to see the new van up close for the very first time.

The new Berlingo Van is available in four trim levels: X, Worker, Enterprise and Driver.

As a continuation of the Citroën electrification strategy, an electrified version of the new Berlingo Van will be available by 2021.

A new Berlingo Van M BlueHDi 100 Worker was physically on display at the Citroën stand.

The Worker trim offers a host of standard equipment, including an automatic electronic parking brake, grip control, underbody protection, tyre pressure monitoring, Extenso modular folding passenger bench seat with pivoting writing table, a load-through bulkhead, front fog lights with cornering function, a 220v power socket, 30mm increased ground clearance, and mud and snow tyres.

Citroën Dispatch – which was launched at the CV Show three years ago – was also present on the stand.

Since its debut in 2016, sales of Citroën Dispatch have grown at an impressive rate.

Citroën Dispatch will form part of the electrified range from 2020.

A Citroën Dispatch Enterprise M was also part of the display at the NEC.

Standard Enterprise specification includes air conditioning, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, the Moduwork configurable passenger bench seat with through-loading bulkhead, an alarm, automatic lights and windscreen wipers, Citroën Connect Radio with seven inch touchscreen, DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB, MirrorLink and coffee break alert.

The Dispatch model on display at the NEC was also fitted with the Worksite Pack, which is part of the new Dispatch Worker trim that becomes available with the Euro 6.2 Dispatch range launching in May 2019.

The Citroën Relay Ready to Run conversions range was represented at the Citroën stand by a Relay Low-Floor Luton L3 model powered by the BlueHDi 160 engine.

The low floor design eases loading and also helps to extend the load volume to 20m3.

The floor is 4,100mm long and there is additional storage space above the cab in the aerodynamic Luton pod.

Lightweight 14mm thick composite body panels contribute to the 1,300kg gross payload.

External marker lights are fitted to the bodywork. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, a dual passenger seat and a heavy-duty battery.

2019 marks Citroën’s centenary year and it was celebrated at the CV Show with one of Citroën’s landmark LCV models.

The Type H-van was launched in 1947, the work of legendary Citroën designer André Lefèbvre, who was also responsible for the Traction Avant, 2CV and DS.

Many of the iconic Citroën H-van’s defining features were taken up decades later by other vehicle producers.

Features such as a low floor, monocoque construction, modular body design, front-wheel-drive and semi-forward control helped the H-van to cast the mould for the panel vans we know today.

So successful was the design that it remained in production until 1981.