Step-in Van (left) has the footprint of a Kangoo but the height of a Trafic
The three electric vans form a €350m model range investment in partnership with Volvo and France’s CMA CGM
Flexis – a joint venture between Renault, Volvo Trucks and French logistics firm CMA CGM – has revealed the trio of electric vans that it will bring to market next year.
The vans, which should come to the UK before the end of the decade, are part of a €350 million model -range development plan and based on a shared platform.
Flexis said the skateboard-style platform had been designed to minimise the height of the loading floor, maximise interior layout flexibility and allow for long driving ranges.
The flagship of the range is the Step-in Van, the production version of the Renault Estafette concept shown last September.
It has a traditional, short-wheelbase van bodystyle with sliding doors at the front and a shutter door at the rear, claimed by the firm as the first of its kind on sale in Europe.
As detailed by Renault last year, the Step-in Van will utilise a footprint the size of the Renault Kangoo but with the taller roofline of the Renault Trafic from the segment above.
A second model, the Panel Van, is claimed to be more versatile in urban environments, offering a 1.9m height while retaining the ability to enter underground car parks and garages.
The range is capped off by the Cargo Van, designed to bolster last-mile deliveries and offering various bodystyles, widths and load beds.
While range will vary depending on cargo volume, bodystyle and wheelbase, Flexis claimed all three vans will be capable of up to 279 miles in urban environments.
A maximum battery charging rate has yet to be announced, but Flexis said they can be charged from empty to 80% in 20 minutes.
Each van is powered by a single 200bhp electric motor.
Production for the Flexis vans is due to start mid-way through 2026 at Renault’s plant in Sandouville, France, which currently produces the Trafic and related Nissan Primastar.
While much of the production comes from Renault’s side, the Flexis venture is split 45:45 between the brand and Volvo Trucks, with CMA CGM holding the remaining 10%.
Renault has high hopes for Flexis’s highly modular van range, aiming to become the “Tesla of the commercial vehicle”.