Electric mobility firm B–ON, which recently signed a strategic partnership with China’s Chery, has hired Nissan LCV veteran Nicolas Tschann as its chief commercial officer.
Tschann was recently European head of light commercial vehicles at Nissan, and had been working with the Japanese vehicle manufacturer and its premium subsidiary Infiniti since 2001, in Europe and in Asia.
He joined B-ON on July 1 as it expands its European footprint to new markets, with its line-up of utilitarian electric vehicles.
In a series of ride-and-drive events in Europe B-ON is demonstrating its all-electric Pelkan light commercial vehicle (eLCV) to selected customers and media.
The Pelkan electric van, which will have a range of up to 185 miles, will achieve a payload of 1,234kg to 1,320kg, according to the manufacturer.
In addition to the Pelkan, B–ON demonstrates its accompanying ecosystem of fleet management and energy management services, which it says create a one-stop-shop for electrifying medium and large fleets.
Tschann joins B–ON after the company secured a strategic partnership with China’s automotive giant Chery, which includes a joint venture for the development, production and sale of low-cost electric commercial vehicles.
The partnership will provide B–ON access to Chery’s manufacturing, supply chain, and engineering resources, while Chery gains B–ON’s network for sales, aftersales, and branding in Europe and North America.
“Nicolas’ global experience, including ties to both Europe and China, will make him a huge asset to us as we continue to scale our business,” said Bruno Lambert, chief executive and co-founder of B–ON.
“We welcome him on board at the perfect time, as our cost-effective Pelkan undertakes its first European tour. It will be a big summer for B–ON.”
“B–ON combines a cutting-edge supporting software suite with a safe, high-quality electric van that even comes with a fair price tag,” said Tschann. “It’s an unbeatable combination, and I’m so excited to be part of the team working to take our market-leading commercial offering for fleets to the next level.”
Last year IM Group announced it had secured the UK’s distribution rights for B-ON and it was aiming to build a small dealer network.