Renault Estafette Concept for ‘last kilometre’ logistics

A lot of attention is focussed on electric vehicles for personal mobility but on the commercial vehicle side, an equal development effort is also being undertaken by many automakers. Besides large long-distance trucks, there is also a demand for smaller light commercial vehicles for ‘last-kilometre’ logistics in cities.

The Estafette Concept shows what such electric vehicles of the future could be like. It has been conceived by Flexis – an independent company launched by the Renault Group, Volvo Group and CMA CGM Group – to show one approach to meeting the challenges in the energy transition. And there is a hint that such a vehicle could be on sale by 2026.

The concept vehicle’s name is taken from a Renault van that was on sale between 1959 and 1980. Radically innovative and practical, the original Estafette was the very first Renault brand vehicle to fit the entire powertrain – engine and transmission – at the front to free up all the space behind for loading. It was designed to make life easier for delivery drivers, tradespeople and retailers with sliding doors on either side.

Designed around professional drivers, and engineered based on their feedback and geared for their needs, the Estafette Concept is designed for cities. It is a compact yet spacious all-electric van combining Kangoo L2’s length, Clio’s agility and Trafic L1H2’s load capacity.

The vehicle is fully connected and leverages the SDV (Software-Defined Vehicle) architecture in the FlexEVan platform developed by Ampere (a Renault subsidiary). SDV electronic architectures play an essential role in increasing performance and cost-efficiency in new-generation vehicles. They also integrate advanced features including real-time updates and predictive maintenance. Overall, they help to reduce cost in use by about 30%.

“We are very excited about helping to bring to life the vision that Renault Group and its partners Volvo Group and CMA CGM Group have come up with to revolutionise urban logistics, to make operations more sustainable, safer, city-friendlier, driver-friendlier and neighbour-friendlier. 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,” said Philippe Divry, CEO of Flexis SAS.

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