Skip advert
Advertisement

Renault and Volvo launch ‘revolutionary’ Flexis electric vans, arriving in 2026

The companies are working together to create a family of electric vans based on an EV-dedicated skateboard platform

Flexis, a joint project between the Renault Group, truck manufacturer Volvo Group and logistics company CMA CGM, has unveiled its range of electric vans ahead of a market launch in 2026.

The companies announced they’d be working together last April, creating Flexis as a new independent entity specialising in both electric delivery vehicles and the software behind them, with a portfolio of business-to-business (B2B) services for logistics operators.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The three new vans are based on a brand new EV-dedicated skateboard platform that features an 800-volt electrical architecture. Flexis says the platform will be highly versatile to accommodate different body styles, plus two types of batteries.

As previewed in 2024, the range includes three models, which for the time being at least have self-descriptive names: the Panel van, the Cargo van and the Step-in van. Production of all three is scheduled to begin in mid-2026 at Renault’s Sandouville plant in France, and the company expects demand to total around 15,000 units over three years.

As for the vehicles themselves, the Panel van is akin to familiar models on the market such as the Renault Trafic and Ford Transit Custom. Full specifications haven’t yet been announced, other than a 1.9-metre height – slightly lower than the 1,971mm Trafic – which will help it meet height restrictions, such as those in multi-storey car parks. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo suggested that the Panel is more roomy inside than the Trafic, and boasts a larger cargo capacity.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The Cargo van is depicted in Flexis’ images with a small box on the back, but thanks to the chassis cab design, it should be able to be adapted to many more formats – the company says it’s capable of integrating different widths, heights, beds and other modular solutions.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Step-in van was likened by de Meo to the Renault Kangoo, and is similar to those you’d expect to see in use by delivery firms such as FedEx and UPS. It features a tall roof, tall front sliding doors, a rear shutter door and a cabin height of 1.9 metres, allowing all but the tallest of drivers to walk upright inside the vehicle.

Flexis says that all three have been designed with passenger car comfort in mind, citing, for example, how seat height has been carefully chosen to reduce the impact on a driver’s knees – important when there is a lot of getting up and down during a day’s deliveries.

All have a low load floor, too, thanks to the low-slung EV platform, maximising cargo space in what are otherwise relatively compact vehicles. The platform allows for a tight turning circle, and features a low, flat battery that can provide up to 280 miles of range. There’s also fast charging that facilitates an 80 per cent top-up in under 20 minutes.

The vans will use a Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) platform based on Google’s Android operating system. “This allows Google to go beyond the screen into the functions of the car,” said de Meo. It will also enable the vans to be connected to the Google Cloud and allow customers who buy large numbers to integrate their own software into the vehicles. Flexis is calling the platform FlexE Connect.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Other benefits to the end user will include being able to use the existing network of Renault and Volvo dealers around Europe for servicing needs, while the brand will have a Customer Operational Centre, which clients can use for real-time fleet monitoring, diagnostics, personalised performance reports and more.

Another goal with the Flexis van project is to reduce the total cost of usage throughout the van’s life by 30 per cent. De Meo explained “if you imagine that in the life cycle of such a product people spend between €100,000 (£83,700) and €120,000 (£100,500) to pay for the gasoline, to pay for maintenance, to pay for insurance, etc. If you reduce that by 30 per cent it means that basically people will be able to buy the car for free”.

Flexis will hope to capitalise on the growth of the European market for electrified vans, which is expected to rise by 40 per cent each year until 2030. CMA CGM will invest up to 120 million euros (£100 million) in Flexis by 2026, while the Renault Group and Volvo Group plan to invest 300 million euros (£251 million) each over the next three years.

Subscribe to the UK's favourite car magazine: get Auto Express delivered every week...

Skip advert
Advertisement

Antony is a freelance motoring writer with more than 15 years of experience in everything from the latest wave of hybrid and electric vehicles, to sports cars, supercars and classics. You’ll find him covering a little of everything on Auto Express.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond
New cars coming soon header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond

These are the most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
13 Jun 2025
New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai
Renault Symbioz hybrid - front angled

New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai

The Renault Captur has also been fitted the new full-hybrid powertrain, which gets a bigger battery for more pure-electric driving
News
12 Jun 2025
Buckle up! Volvo's new 'super seatbelt' could transform car safety
Volvo EX90 - front cornering

Buckle up! Volvo's new 'super seatbelt' could transform car safety

New multi-adaptive seatbelt pretensions according to real-time crash data, as well as occupants’ dimensions
News
5 Jun 2025
Tesla struggles in new driver-assistance tests with Autopilot name deemed misleading
Tesla Model 3 - front cornering

Tesla struggles in new driver-assistance tests with Autopilot name deemed misleading

Tesla struggles in new Euro NCAP driver-assistance tests with Autopilot name deemed “inappropriate” by safety body
News
4 Jun 2025

Most Popular

New Peugeot 208 GTi: electric hot hatch gets stunning looks and plenty of power
Peugeot E-208 GTi - reveal front

New Peugeot 208 GTi: electric hot hatch gets stunning looks and plenty of power

Hot Peugeot E-208 gets racier styling, 276bhp and does 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds
News
13 Jun 2025
New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet
BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort - front

New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet

The new BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is arguably the Chinese brand's most convincing model in its range
Road tests
11 Jun 2025
New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai
Renault Symbioz hybrid - front angled

New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai

The Renault Captur has also been fitted the new full-hybrid powertrain, which gets a bigger battery for more pure-electric driving
News
12 Jun 2025