Renault has expanded its commercial vehicle portfolio with a new entry coming to its Trafic lineup. The Trafic E-Tech Electric isn’t the biggest minivan out there, but it makes the best use out of its cargo area and gets up to 450 km (280 miles) per charge. The production won’t start the next year, so let’s take a look in the meantime.
Businesses will be choosing from two sizes: standard and extended. The former has a body only 4,870 mm (190.2 inches) long and can take up to 5.1 cubic meters (180.1 cubic feet) of cargo on board. The latter is 400 mm (15.6”) longer and fits 5.8 cubic meters (204.8 cubic feet). Both are 1.9 meters (74.2 inches) tall. Remarkably enough, Renault claims that the minivan has nearly the same turn radius as the Clio and occupies the same amount of parking space as the Kangoo.
Power for the LCV comes from a single rear-axle motor rated at 204 PS (201 hp / 150 kW). Other options either don’t exist of haven’t been announced yet. The first battery to go into production will consist of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) power cells and deliver the aforementioned 450 kilometers of range. A more affordable lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack will become available later with 350 km (217 miles) or so per charge, Renault says.
Owners will benefit from a number of dedicated online services including a smart navigation system taking into account the dimensions of the vehicle and the current load when plotting routes. There will also be a power sharing feature for charging up other EVs and powering appliances, Renault claims. Later on, the Trafic E-Tech Electric lineup will further expand to include a panel truck, a bare chassis, and other specialized versions.
