New 2024 Renault Master set for hydrogen power

The next-generation Master van is almost here with Renault’s large van set to be revealed at the Solutrans Motor Show in Lyon this week. 

We’ve seen a teaser image of Renault’s range-topping van model already. A shadowy picture gives a hint to the new headlight and rear light design and while Renault claims the new Master’s “Aerovan” shaped body, along with a new braking system, have helped boost efficiency, it simply looks like a van to us from the side.

The new Master will continue with a range of powertrains, from internal-combustion engines to the fully-electric Master E-Tech and even a H2-Tech hydrogen model that’ll come with all-new architecture. Whatever powertrain you choose, Renault says Master should have up to 21 per cent improved fuel efficiency.  

Exactly what this means for the new Master E-Tech’s driving range isn’t clear at this time. But considering the current Master E-Tech can only cover up to 126 miles on a single charge, while the Ford E-Transit will reach 196 miles, and the right Fiat e-Ducato can do up to 230 miles in one go, we expect that there’ll be a sizable increase in this department.

It’s possible that the new Master E-Tech will be available with a range of battery sizes, like the e-Ducato and the second-generation Mercedes eSprinter unveiled earlier this year. The eSprinter is offered with a choice of three battery sizes – 56kWh, 81kWh and 113kWh – the largest of which also gives the large electric van a 248-mile range. By comparison, the current Master E-Tech is offered with a solitary 52kWh battery unit that can be charged at speeds of up to 22kW, whereas the eSprinter and E-Transit will reach 115kW charging speed if hooked up to the right DC rapid charger. 

The only other details Renault has shared so far are that the new Master will carry on the tradition of being produced at the brand’s Batilly plant in France and that it will be the first of a new generation of Renault vans that are “more efficient, 100% connected and innovative,” according to the French firm. A new mid-size Renault Trafic is the most likely follow-up, as the current model was launched in 2014 and had a mid-life facelift in 2021. 

As for the interior, we expect the new Master to gain upgrades in technology, potentially with a larger touchscreen arriving from the facelifted Clio. There should also be a permanent rear-view camera, Renault’s latest safety systems and a ‘Mobile Office’, which in the current model features a table positioned on the back of the passenger seat, a laptop stand on the dash and underseat storage.

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