Citroën announces partnership with Big Issue magazine

Citroën UK is to provide the Big Issue Group with 16 electric vans as part of a new three-year partnership.

The partnership will see Big Issue Group adopt a fleet of all-electric Citroën ë-Berlingo Vans and ë-Dispatch vans to support the distribution of The Big Issue magazine across the UK.

A total of 16 fully electric Citroën vans will join the BIG fleet. One of the Group’s key aims is to make its delivery process more sustainable and to tackle its carbon emissions. The Big Issue Group fleet transports over 2 million magazines to 3,300 vendors in a year, covering over 350,000 miles annually across the UK.

Citroën’s ë-Berlingo Van and ë-Dispatch will initially be used in towns and cities including Bournemouth, Bristol, Bath, Norwich and Newcastle, with more vans to be added to the fleet over the next three years. The partnership comes as many cities across the UK introduce low-emission zones, making the use of fully electric vans even more beneficial for all types of fleets and businesses.

Russell Blackman, Big Issue Group Managing Director of Commercial, said: “Russell Blackman, Big Issue Group Managing Director of Commercial, said: “Citroën’s market-leading approach to innovation and affordability of electric vehicles is the exact reason why they are the ideal partner to work with Big Issue Group.

“Our partnership will allow us to make even greater strides in the support and services we provide for the most marginalised across the country. In cities and remote, rural locations, we will be able to respond quickly when our vendors need us the most. At Big Issue Group we are excited for the next three years working alongside Citroën to drive change for good.”

Eurig Druce, Citroën UK’s Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Big Issue Group in their important work ‘changing lives through enterprise’, and in particular to support their transition to electric vehicles so they can become more sustainable. BIG is a fantastic organisation that has been working to improve people’s lives for over 30 years by providing work opportunities – a hand up, not a handout is a philosophy we can definitely get behind. I can’t wait to see these vans out on the road, being used as sustainable electric workhorses in support of the Big Issue workforce.”