- Renault unveils a trio of all-new electric vans.
- The Estafette E-Tech, Goelette E-Tech and Trafic E-Tech share the same 800V platform.
- They go on sale next year.
With over half a million vans to its name, the Estafette was a staple of Renault’s commercial vehicle lineup between 1959 and 1980 before being retired. Now, the French automaker has revived the iconic Estafette nameplate for a brand-new, all-electric commercial vehicle based on a newly developed 800-volt skateboard architecture.
And that’s not all because the Estafette is joined by two other historic names—the Goelette and Trafic—in an aggressive push from Renault toward the electrification of the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment in Europe.
All three models share the same underpinnings that were designed by Renault’s subsidiary Ampere. Each is front-wheel drive and utilizes a Google-based software experience. The high-voltage batteries can be recharged to 80% state of charge in approximately 20 minutes, thanks to the 800V architecture. That said, we don’t know the capacity of the battery pack and the maximum recharging speed in kilowatts. That will likely come at a later date.
If the cars seem familiar, you’re not wrong. The trio was unveiled late last month under the Flexis brand, a joint venture between Renault Group, Volvo Group and French shipping giant CMA CGM. In that story, we learned of Renault's plan to launch its versions of the vans, available through its dealer network. And now, here we are.
First up, the Estafette E-Tech electric. It’s 17.3 feet (5.27 meters) long, 6.3 feet (1.92 m) wide and 8.5 feet (2.6 m) tall, which allows a person up to 6.2 feet (1.9 m) tall to walk easily around the interior without having to crouch between the cabin and cargo area.
There’s a large three-piece panoramic windshield for improved visibility, a sliding side door with an invisible integrated track, running boards on both sides and a single-piece roller shutter door at the rear. The series-production Estafette was previewed by the namesake concept vehicle last year.
The Estafette is the largest of the three new software-defined electric vans, followed by the Trafic and Goelette.
Gallery: Renault Estafette, Goelette, Trafic
The new Trafic E-Tech electric marks the fourth generation of the nameplate that debuted in 1980 and racked up over 2.5 million units built in the last four decades. The new electric van is just under 6.2 feet (1.9 m) tall, making it just the right size for European underground car parks that usually have a maximum height restriction of 6.5 feet (2 m).
The Golette uses the same bones as the electric Trafic, but it comes as either a chassis cab, box van or tipper, making it ideal for conversion specialists. Renault says the rear section has no specific equipment and that it was “designed for a virtually infinite range of fittings and customized features.” The original Goelette van was built for ten years beginning in 1956 and it was one of the most popular vans for fleets or small business owners with specific requirements, according to the French automaker.
The all-new Renault Trafic, Estafette and Goelette will be built in France at Renault Group’s Sandouville plant, alongside their Flexis counterparts, with a market launch planned for next year.
