FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4: HOW DOES SUPERMARKET PICNIC'S ELECTRIC VAN DRIVE?

With a range of up to 135 km and the appearance of a Laaf, the Goupil G4 does not appear to be a high-flyer. Nevertheless, thanks to supermarket Picnic (and with the help of the corona crisis), this handy trolley has become one of the most important electric cars of 2020 and 2021. FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4.

WHAT'S STRIKING ABOUT PICNIC'S GOUPIL G4?

You probably would have recognized him despite the bucket and the orange nose. This is the car with which online supermarket Picnic delivers groceries to tens of thousands of customers per day. Although Picnic was already a success before the corona crisis, the virus suddenly made the supermarket a life saver for many families. The fun Goupil G4 is the eco-friendly wheeled signboard for the e-wholesaler.

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It is compact, robust and incredibly convenient. The G4 is equipped with a lithium ion battery pack with a capacity of 14kWh. His loading capacity of 1226 kilos is striking, which means that almost 1000 kilos of groceries can go with it. That's about 200 packs of milk, 20 crates of beer, 60 bottles of Coke, 100 cans of tomato soup, 100 packs of baking rolls and 1,000 bags of paprika chips.

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THE GOUPIL G4?

The G4 is perfectly dedicated to its task. Thanks to the all-electric drive, it is particularly environmentally friendly during the short city rides from front door to front door. In addition, he zooms dead quietly through the inner city and the suburbs. FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4.

"AT THE BACK, THE PICNIC VAN HAS LEAF SPRINGS SO AS NOT TO SINK UNDER THE WEIGHT OF OUR GROCERIES."

But it's not just the dexterity and environmental friendliness. With its steel chassis and simple mechanics, the G4 is also extremely durable. Thanks to the McPherson suspension for the rider, the comfort for the rider is much better than expected. At the back, the G4 leaf springs (but made of composite material) do not sink under the weight of our groceries.

The entry is easy, the huge front and side windows offer the best possible view of the road and the G4 is equipped not only with heating, but also with a radio with USB connection. Oh yes, of course we should not forget the turning circle of 3.9 meters: exactly what you want in a busy city.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER ABOUT THE GOUPIL G4?

If you look at the Goupil G4 from a driver's perspective, the range of about 135 kilometers (WLTP) is absurdly low. "No more of this time," we'd say in the newsroom. The same applies to the top speed limited to 50 km/h. Yet both are just fine for the purpose of the G4. FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4.

A real point is the design of the Picnic G4. Due to its narrow and high construction (1.20 meters wide and 1.80 meters high), the G4 seems susceptible to falling over. However, you have to do a little hard with it to get it done, but for Picnic it was enough to oblige all drivers to follow strict driving training.

WHEN DOES THE GOUPIL G4 COME TO THE NETHERLANDS AND WHAT IS THE PRICE?

The Goupil G4 has been on the market since 2017 and is exclusively imported from France by Van Blitterswijk Eco-Mobiliteit from Moordrecht. The starting price is about 20,000 euros, excluding taxes, but can be up to 40K due to all the possibilities you can add. There's quite a few of them. For example, our Test Goupil is equipped with a tipping system, but his brothers are also used for weed control, for example. There are now about 2000 units in the Netherlands and an estimated 80 percent of municipalities have at least one. FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4.

WHAT DO I THINK OF PICNIC'S GOUPIL G4? FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4.

I think he's great. Like no other electric car, the G4 is equipped for its task. I can't think of a single vehicle better at delivering groceries than the curious Goupil. The ride is remarkably comfortable and while lavering through the city traffic you imagine yourself in a computer game, so dynamic and agile is the G4. The view all around is also excellent and everything has been done to make it as easy as possible for the delivery person (me in this case).

Just as beautiful is that the G4 with its distinctive and striking appearance has (inadvertently) become a driving billboard for Picnic. The icing on the cake is that the delivery is also wonderfully environmentally friendly. Which, by the way, immediately makes you wonder why other errand boys still drive dirty diesels.

As an important vehicle, I scissor the Goupil G4 at the top of my rankings next to the T-Ford. Where the Ford Model T gave people the freedom to go out, the G4 gives us the freedom to stay at home more than 100 years later. Things may change. FIRST REVIEW GOUPIL G4.