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Citroën Revives 2CV Fourgonnette as Electric Van Concept
Citroën has unveiled a cargo variant of its new 2CV concept at the Paris motor show, reviving the Fourgonnette name as a possible electric commercial vehicle.
By Edward Beaumont · 3 min read
Citroën is exploring a return of the 2CV Fourgonnette, the square-backed van that became a French icon, as part of its push to electrify its line-up with an affordable people's car. The company revealed a cargo variant of its new 2CV concept at the Paris motor show, signalling that the van could join the passenger model due in two years.
The Fourgonnette concept takes the passenger 2CV's retro silhouette and replaces the rear seats and sloped roofline with a large box. Access to the cargo bay is through flip-up side windows or split rear doors. The original Fourgonnette was built from 1951 to 1977 and earned a place in French working life alongside the standard 2CV.
Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon said the original van showed that commercial vehicles can have «soul». That emotional appeal is central to the brand's strategy. Citroën believes nostalgia can give it an edge over a wave of new Chinese competitors in Europe, which threaten its positioning as a value-oriented brand.
However, the company has not green-lit the Fourgonnette for production. It said the show car «does not preview a future production model in the short term» but added that «it opens up new avenues for consideration» in the years to come. Citroën described the concept as a «passion project» that arose from a «spontaneous desire» during the creation of the new passenger-hauling derivative.
If approved, the van could arrive a couple of years after the regular 2CV, potentially replacing the current ë-Berlingo or slotting into the line-up below that model. Any road-going version is likely to mirror the passenger car's development brief: Citroën is targeting a starting price of €15,000, equivalent to about £12,700, and a kerb weight of one tonne, hinting at a small battery.
The ambition is to make electric motoring accessible to a much broader range of buyers, echoing the original 2CV's mission of getting rural France moving before and after the Second World War. The new passenger 2CV concept was unveiled yesterday evening and is due in two years' time.
An electric Fourgonnette would also tap into the growing number of zero-emission zones in European cities, where a compact commercial vehicle with no tailpipe emissions could appeal to small businesses and tradespeople. The concept's compact dimensions, with the passenger 2CV measuring just 3.76 metres long, suggest a manoeuvrable van suited to urban deliveries.
Citroën's decision on production will be watched closely by fleet operators and enthusiasts alike. The Fourgonnette name carries decades of goodwill, and reviving it as an affordable electric van would extend the 2CV's legacy into the commercial sector while supporting the brand's value-focused electric strategy.
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