B-On and Chery to partner on new electric vans

European EV specialist B-ON is teaming up with Chinese automotive giant Chery to develop a new range of electric vans.

The two companies announced the partnership at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham at the same time as unveiling their first joint project – the Pelkan van.

The Pelkan is a mid-sized all-electric van that features a class-leading payload of up to 1,350kg. Two battery variants of 43kWh and 54kWh offer driving ranges of 140 miles and 173, respectively.

Deliveries of the rival to the Ford e-Transit Custom, Vauxhall Vivaro Electric and Peugeot e-Expert will begin in mainland Europe by mid-2024. delivered to customers in mainland Europe beginning mid 2024.

The firms plan to bring a range of other models to market, with the next model expected in 2026.

As part of the partnership, B-ON will contribute its network for sales, aftersales, and branding in Europe and North America as well as engineering design and product development. In exchange it will get access to Chery’s massive supply chain support and manufacturing capabilities as well as engineering input from the Chinese brand.

Founded in 1997, Chery Group is the third-largest automaker in China with nearly 2 million vehicles sold in 2023 alone. It is China’s leading automobile exporter and is the parent group of Omoda and Jaecoo, both of which are due to launch in the UK in the coming months.

“Partnering with a major world leader like Chery Group is a pivotal moment for B-ON and its growth,” said Bruno Lambert, CEO of B-ON. “Combined, our ability to provide high quality, low-cost electric commercial vehicles is unmatched in the market today, and I’m extremely optimistic about our joint prospects.”

Tongyue Yin, chairman of Chery Group, added: “As a leading global automaker, we have long recognized the need to be prepared for an electric future.

“Innovative, agile companies like B-ON are uniquely poised to supply the nascent and rapidly expanding commercial vehicle market in their local geographies but lack the manufacturing base to address the full mass-market demand. Our partnership makes for a perfect union. Together, our future is bright.”