[This article was first published on paddleshift.sg]
As is the case with its smaller e-Berlingo/Combo-e/e-Partner cousins, the e-Dispatch is one part of a set of commercial vehicle triplets from Stellantis.
The e-Dispatch/Vivaro-e/e-Expert trio are all based on the same platform, though each automaker has applied their own unique spin on the vans. Each vehicle sports an external visual identity unique to their respective marques.
As such, you’d be able to enjoy the same basic capabilities whilst being able to show your loyalty to either the French or the German as you deem fit.
Powertrain:
Permanent Magnet
Synchronous Motor
Transmission:
1-Speed
Output: 134 bhp, 260 Nm
Payload: 985 kgs
Efficiency: 4 km/kWh
Range: 330 km
Dimensions:
4,959 mm x 1,920 mm x 1,940 mm
Wheelbase: 3,275 mm
Citroen joins a growing number of commercial vehicle manufacturers to only retail electric offerings in Singapore. If you still want a diesel van, you’d probably have to look to the Japanese.
In all fairness, the drawbacks of even the current crop of electric vans are fairly minor. The e-Dispatch is able to cover around 300 kilometres on a single charge in the real-world, only marginally less than its homologated 330 kilometres. It has a front-mounted electric motor, very similar in specification to that found in other electric Stellantis vehicles.
This puts out 134 bhp and 260 Nm of torque. The power is certainly sufficient, with the e-Dispatch being able to keep up with traffic with relative ease. And it is not like you’d really benefit from having even greater levels of power – higher output levels mean you’d be burning through charge at a faster rate. Not ideal if you are in the business, of doing business.
As expected, the cabin of the e-Dispatch has clearly been designed with work in mind. All interior surfaces have been made out of hard-wearing plastics. Equipment levels aren’t exactly impressive also, with a fairly basic infotainment screen and analogue dials.
But there’s a charm to a vehicle built specifically for function. And you start appreciating the sheer genius of the cabin even more when you start to have a poke around the interior. There are hidden stowaway bins underneath the passenger seat base, and no shortage of cup holders and cubby holes.
The vinyl used to trim the seats feel thick and robust, whilst the seats themselves surprisingly manage to keep fatigue at bay despite looking fairly basic. Aside from the heavier-than-expected weight of the van’s steering, we could see drivers having no major comfort issues spending long hours behind the wheel of the e-Dispatch. Especially considering the van sports coil springs all around, which makes for a calmer overall ride.
A van will never win a beauty contest. But that is not the point of a vehicle built to facilitate a business’ growth. Despite this, Citroen has managed to very neatly integrate its corporate design cues into the fascia of the e-Dispatch. Expectedly, the van is basically a giant box-on-wheels, which again is no bad thing.
Citroen quotes a payload of 985 kilograms, and a storage volume of about 5,300 litres. With its 75kWh battery pack, it’d happily satisfy the requirements of even the most stringent and demanding of companies. Even if it did run low on range, the e-Dispatch is DC100kW capable. In layman speak, that means it can go from 0% to having a full charge in a little under 50 minutes.
For longevity’s sake, we’d urge you to rely less on DC fast charging and more on slow AC charging. At its max cap of 11kW, you’d need about seven hours to completely fill the battery from nought.
The e-Dispatch shows you that there’s a better way to shuttle your cargo around. There’s no need to deal with a crude diesel engine. Why put up with the coarseness and lack of refinement when you can do your deliveries in smooth silence?
Drivetrain simplicity and decent real-world range should be reasons enough for you to make the switch. Running costs, from both day-to-day usage and from maintenance, should be attractive enough for companies to ditch diesel. They may cost more to buy now, but you’d be saving a pretty penny in the long run.
Plus, charging infrastructure will only continue to get better from hereon in, further minimising the cons of going electric!
Book a test drive to do it all in Electric with the new ë-Dispatch now!
[Source article: paddleshift.sg/2021-citroen-e-dispatch-review-diesel-doomed]
