B-ON, a European provider of clean mobility solutions, and Chinese automotive giant Chery Group are advancing their strategic partnership with a new joint venture and the launch of the Pelkan electric van.

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The two firms are seeking to disrupt the electric van sector with the arrival of new high-quality, low-cost solutions, drawing on their respective skills.

The newly revealed Pelkan eLCV showcases their plans perfectly. Debuted at the CV Show 2024 in Birmingham today – but tested by Fleet World last week – it will feature a class-leading payload of up to 1350kg, and two battery variants of 43 and 54kWh designed to provide extended range up to 140 miles and 173 miles respectively (226 and 279km), all in a comfortable, driver-friendly package.

The Pelkan will be delivered to customers in mainland Europe starting from mid-2024 – but the two firms have reached an agreement for a larger strategic partnership, including the formation of a joint venture focused on developing, producing and selling all-electric commercial vehicles.

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. While the firm was founded in 2020, much of B-ON’s team worked on the original StreetScooter project, which produced over 20,000 electric commercial vehicles for Deutsche Post DHL Group.

Meanwhile, Chery Commercial Vehicle will also provide engineering, in addition to access to its extensive capabilities for both supply chain support and manufacturing.

Founded in 1997, Chery Group is currently the third-largest automaker in China with nearly two million vehicles sold in 2023 alone.

Bruno Lambert, CEO of B-ON, said: “Partnering with a major world leader such as Chery Group is a pivotal moment for B-ON and its growth. 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, said: “As a leading global automaker, we have long recognised the need to be prepared for an electric future. Innovative, agile companies such as 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.”