A new concept previewing a future urban electric van has gone on display at the IAA 2024 show in Hanover.
Debuted by Flexis – the recently launched eLCV joint venture by Renault Group, Volvo Group and CMA CGM Group – the surprise unveiling reimagines Renault’s former Estafette flagship van 65 years on from its launch.
The original Estafette, later replaced by the Trafic, is credited with having set the bar for economy and practicality, and the new incarnation builds on its legacy.
Conceived as a compact yet spacious all-electric for city use, it combines the length of the Kangoo L2, the agility of the zippy Clio and the load capacity of the Trafic L1H2 to help drivers and fleets balance operational needs and safety requirements in city environments
It’s built on the FlexEVan platform, developed by Renaut with its Flexis partners and sitting just 4.87m long by 1.92m wide – similar to the Kangoo L2 – to enable it to fit in a standard parking spot and with a similar turning circle to that of a Clio, at just over 10m.
Its extra height however – 2.59m compared with 1.85m for the Trafic – gives a whopping 7.1m of load capacity, close to that of a Trafic L1H2. It also means the driver can switch between the cockpit and cargo area, stand up straight inside (up to 1.9m tall) and onload straight onto the roadside via the sliding side doors.
And rather than a tailgate or swing-out doors, the Estafette is kitted out with a rear roller shutter and foldout step, opening up the van’s full height while negating the need for clearance space.
Renault and partners envisage that the shutter is solely used for loading and the sliding door alongside the pavement is used exclusively for unloading, helping keep the driver safe.
It’s planned to go into production in two years’ time and also marks Renault Group’s first vehicle built around an SDV (Software-Defined Vehicle) electronic architecture.
Developed by Ampere, Renault Group’s inhouse business, the SDV architecture enables major updates, upgrades and new content throughout the vehicle’s life cycle.
Softening its elongated silhouette, the Estafette Concept comes with a Tropical Yellow roof over a Helium Grey cab and also carries over the Estafette’s twin round headlamps. A triptych-shaped wrapround windscreen gives drivers a panoramic view.
The cabin carries over the bold looks with a ‘zesty yellow’ cockpit area and a single seat for the driver. A fold-up seat next to it is exclusively “for training”. The driver’s seat uses swivel functionality to help negate back problems while the platform under the seat has seven drawers.
The dashboard includes a 7.0-inch driver’s screen and a 12-inch multimedia display. Drivers also get two 10-inch vertical screens at the end of the dashboard to display the rear views from the outside cameras.
Philippe Divry, CEO at Flexis SAS, said: “Estafette Concept is the first example of what electric utility vehicles will look like tomorrow: purpose-engineered to drive in cities, compact, connected and built for fully sustainable delivery services.”
