PSA Peugeot Citroën has installed capacity for up to 300,000 units a year of its new Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner van lines.
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Production has begun at the Vigo plant in Spain ahead of a market launch in May. The automaker has spent EUR660m on the new models, including EUR334m for research and development.
Vigo also builds the C4 Picasso MPV line.
PSA said the new vans would be its first vehicles to offer a remote fleet management system. Using a telematics device installed on the vehicle, fleet managers will be able to check mileage, service dates, brake pad wear and oil levels via email messages that arrive directly in their inbox.
“By providing invaluable vehicle data, this solution simplifies fleet tracking and maintenance and enables managers to optimise their spending,” the automaker said.
The original Berlingo and Partner models, of which almost 3.2m have been made to date, will remain in production.
However, output will be transferred to PSA’s factory in Mangualde, northern Portugal, according to Reuters.
“Our market share in light professional cars in Europe is 18.8 percent, which makes us the undisputed number one. So the strategy is simple, we need to reinforce our leadership,” the news agency quoted PSA chairman Christian Streiff as saying during a media event at the Vigo plant on Thursday.
