Renault Estafette reborn as futuristic van for cities

Renault has revived the Estafette as a high-tech, city-focused load-lugger called the ZFlexEVan.

The new concept previews the debut model from the French company’s tie-up with Volvo Trucks, called Flexis, and it has been designed to stand out from the aggressive-looking diesel vans on the market.

It inherits its twin round headlights and soft curves from the Estafette, which – combined with a striking grey and yellow livery – are intended to brighten up European city streets, according to Renault.

“Vans will no longer be anonymous shapes. They will be endearing, expressive and come in eye-catching pop colours,” said Sandeep Bhambra, chief designer of concept cars for Renault’s electric car spin-off Ampere.

Although the ZFlexEVan is longer than a BMW 3 Series, at 4.87m, its turning circle is on a par with that of a Renault Clio. It is also distinctively tall: at 2.59m, it stands even higher than a Ford Transit. This is intended to allow a driver to walk the length of the van, from the cockpit through to the cargo bay, without crouching.

“We were trying to get every second out of interaction between the driver and the van, because every 30 seconds that you save in a delivery we estimate is [worth an extra] 1% profitability for the logistics operator,” Renault Group chief Luca de Meo explained in April.

Renault has yet to detail the ZFlexEVan’s powertrain beyond it being electric, but it has confirmed the van is its first software-defined vehicle. This means that, like a smartphone, it can be extensively customised through the car’s on-board operating system.

Renault suggested, for example, that a van retrofitted with fridges in the cargo bay could have its dashboard reprogrammed to display the temperature of those fridges.

It also said the van could be updated over time to improve its range, on-board safety systems and connectivity (such as to fleet management systems). This will make it 30% cheaper for companies to run than existing vans, Renault claimed.

The ZFlexEVan will go into production in two years, and it’s possible it will even adopt the Estafette name. Renault refers to it as both the "Estafette 4.0" and the ZFlexEVan, suggesting a retro-inspired reworking of its van line-up – similar to that under way with its road cars – is on the cards.

The new van will spearhead Flexis' plan to dominate the European van market. Announcing the partnership with Volvo Trucks in April, De Meo said: “This is the Tesla of the commercial vehicle in a way. That's the way you have to see it.”