Citroen e-Relay electric van updated with larger 75kWh battery

The Citroen e-Relay has been given a range boost for 2022, thanks to a larger 75kWh battery option which replaces the old 70kWh unit. The upgrade allows the e-Relay to drive an extra 15 miles on a charge, bringing total range to 154 miles on the WLTP cycle. The entry-level model continues to be powered by a 37kWh battery pack, which provides a maximum range of 73 miles. 

The Citroen e-Relay shares its mechanicals with the Vauxhall Movano-e, which also receives the battery upgrade. The e-Relay is fitted with a front-mounted electric motor which develops 118bhp and 260Nm of torque, which is enough to haul a maximum payload of 1,100kg and reach a top speed of 75mph. 

Both battery options support Type 2 three-phase charging as standard. When connected to a 50kW rapid charger, the 37kWh variant takes on an 80 per cent recharge in around an hour. The previous 70kWh battery offered similar charge times, but Citroen hasn’t revealed details of the new 75kWh unit – we don’t expect them to differ too much.

Using a 22kW wallbox, the smaller battery can be fully recharged in six hours. The old 70kWh version took 12 hours to top up. 

In its standard form, the e-Relay is a three-seat, 5,413mm-long panel van. However, Citroen also offers two longer body styles (measuring 5,998mm and 6,363mm), a chassis cab model and a window van with an extra row of seats in the rear. 

Despite the larger battery, the e-Relay hasn’t seen an increase in price. The 3.5-tonne 37kWh model continues to start from £51,285 (excluding VAT and after the £5,000 plug-in vehicle grant for large vans), with the 75kWh model priced from £53,960 in chassis cab form. The 75kWh panel van costs £57,035.

The more heavy duty 4-tonne version is only available in 75kWh guise and has actually dropped in price, now starting from £61,535 – an £8,770 reduction thanks to reduced component costs, says Citroen. Longer, L4-bodied models cost £900 more, with the e-Relay Window Van costing £62,930. 

The largest panel van’s load bay has a capacity of 15 cubic metres, and it’s long enough to transport items measuring up to 4,070mm. Both of those figures are identical to the diesel Citroen Relay, as the battery pack is mounted under the van’s floor.

The e-Relay is only available in Citroen’s Enterprise specification, which comes as standard with rear parking sensors, an alarm system, air conditioning and a five-inch infotainment screen with a DAB radio and built-in satellite navigation.

The diesel van’s manual gear stick has been swapped for a push-button automatic gear selector, with options for Drive, Neutral and Reverse. Citroen has also fitted a dedicated rear-view mirror, which displays the van’s remaining battery charge level and range.

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