The recent lifting of the low speed vehicle (LSV) ban in Quebec has shone the light of discovery on another electric vehicle manufacturer getting ready to go gangbusters. In Ste.-Therese, Quebec, very close to where the Chevrolet Camaro plant was once located, sits the home of Nemo. Locally designed and manufactured, their vehicle, the Must HD2 has garnered interest from 50 municipalities within "La Belle Province" as well as from individuals. Company president, Jacques Rancourt, says they've sold 15 trucks in the past week and a half since their legal status changed and now expects to move 500 units this year.

The Must HD2 sells for around $20,000, is built on an aluminum chassis and can handle a 1,000 lb payload. Being an LSV, it's limited to 25 miles an hour but has a 70 mile range. Since it's made in the North, it does has a robust heater and many options ranging from lithium ion batteries to an AM/FM radio with CD player. We think it's a pretty cool looking truck, seemingly capable of handling a range of chores and so we wish the makers of this little brute, "Bonne chance!".


[Source: Nemo / Canada.com]

Citroën has something called Sensodrive. It's a manual gearshift change that uses no clutch pedal. This system reduces gearchange times and shaves fuel consumption a bit, especially in city driving. What it is interesting is that it's only been installed in the C2 and C3 models so far. It would seem logical that this be installed in a van, a vehicle which usually gets more kilometers than a small hatchback. Finally, Senosodrive is making the jump. The new Nemo has gotten the option, which costs an extra €500. Coupled to the Nemo's gearbox, the 1.4-liter HDI engine which develops 70 HP and gets 160 Nm of torque (120 lb-ft) while being able to carry 600 kg (1300 pounds). iIt does all of this whil producing just 119 g/km of CO₂ and burning 4.5 l/100 km of diesel (52 mpg U. S.) in the European mixed cycle. Don't forget the PSA biodiesel bonus: the company's diesels are guaranteed when running up to B30 blends.


[Source: Le Blog Auto]

The other day, Citroën began selling the 119gm/km CO₂ Nemo delivery van. Now, with a name like that, how could they not steal from a certain popular movie about a clownfish? Citroën has given the Nemo the orange and white paint treatment with the new Nemo Concetto, on display at the 2007 Bologna Motor Show. From what I can tell from the little information Citroën has released about this version of the Nemo, the Concetto could offer the same under-the-hood and customization options as the standard Nemo. What Citroën likes to add is that, "Like the fish, Nemo Concetto can be considered as "small" among its peers. However, its size is an asset, since it is able to nip in and out of traffic easily." Well, at least the images are nice. Check out the gallery for more.

Related:

• Citroën's new 119gm/km CO₂ Nemo delivery truck

[Source: Citroën]

For some reason, delivery truck drivers in the U.S. are stereotypically burly men driving big trucks. In Europe, I've noticed, this image doesn't necessarily hold true, especially when it comes to the vehicles the guys are driving. Take the Renault Kangoo ECO² we wrote about yesterday, for example, or Citroën's new Nemo, which was unveiled earlier this year but is now available.

Citroën's new entry-level light commercial model (a line-up that also includes the Berlingo, the Jumpy and the Jumper) is a compact delivery van that has one engine option that breaks the important 120 grams of CO₂ per km limit. The Nemo HDi emits just 119 g of CO₂ as it goes a kilometer. The Nemo is now available in Italy and Turkey and is coming to other countries in February.

Citroën has released a lot of high-res images of the Nemo (available in the gallery below) and there's a video featuring this truck after the jump.

[Source: Citroën]