Laughing at the ‘Long Range’
Last year, Renault announced a medium-sized electric van, the Renault Trafic E-Tech Electric. This electric commercial vehicle has already been improved before it comes onto the market and will have a significantly greater range than previously communicated.
Renault announced the electric Trafic for the first time in September 2022. At the time there was talk of a range of 240 kilometers, but there was no market introduction until now. With good reason, it now appears: Renault has already improved the electric van behind the scenes. It is now presenting the electric Renault Trafic again, but with a promised WLTP range of 297 kilometers. That makes a difference!
Slightly hilarious is the Long Range version, which Renault also offers. The Renault Trafic E-Tech Electric Long Range has a WLTP range of 322 kilometers, but not because of a larger battery. No, Renault simply limits the top speed to 90 km/h. We assume that this can indeed help, because top speeds are nowhere used as well as in van land. Driving 90 km/h with the regular version is also possible, but as a company you must of course ensure that your drivers actually do this. Certainly no easy feat.
The battery capacity of 52 kWh has not been modified since the presentation of the 240 km version, so Renault has succeeded in reducing the Trafic’s energy consumption. Certainly don’t count on Tesla-like performance, because with 122 hp and 245 Nm, this electric van is at most adequately motorized. Fast charging is possible with a maximum of 50 kW. Charging at a regular charging station is in principle possible with 1-phase and a maximum of 7 kW, but a 3-phase solution with 22 kW is optionally available.
The multimedia system of the Renault Trafic E-Tech Electric has been updated with the electric powertrain. This means you can now schedule charging sessions, preheat the cabin and find charging points along the planned navigation route. The ‘bus’ should also be able to predict whether a certain destination can be reached with the current battery charge.
The electric Renault Trafic E-Tech Electric is available as a closed van in length variants L1 and L2 and with height dimensions H1 and H2. This means that the loading floor is, at best, 4.15 meters long and the Trafic offers 5.8 to 8.9 cubic meters of loading volume. The loading capacity is a maximum of 1.1 tons and it can accommodate a trailer, provided it is not heavier than 920 kg. There is also a version with a double cabin and a Floor Cab, a version for those who like to place their own superstructure behind the cabin. The first available versions should be available to order in October, so prices will undoubtedly follow soon.
Since 2014
The current, formally third generation of the Renault Trafic has been around since 2014, but was given a new and more modern-looking nose spread over 2020 and 2021. Just like the previous generation, this Trafic was initially also available as an Opel Vivaro, but after the takeover of Opel by PSA – now Stellantis – the Vivaro is based on the competitor that that group already had in-house. The Fiat Talento, also based on the Trafic, was retired for similar reasons and has been replaced by the Scudo, based on PSA technology. However, the Trafic is not completely alone: ​​it is also available as a Nissan Primastar. Not in electric form, by the way, but that could change at any time.
Renault’s own electric commercial vehicle range is in any case complete with the arrival of the Trafic, because the smaller Kangoo and larger Master were already available as EVs.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl