Renault will use the IAA Transportation show in Hanover to take the next commercial step with its completely new Trafic Van E-Tech electric.
The van itself is no longer a secret: the definitive production version was shown at Solutrans last November. What appears to be new on September 14 is the opening of the order books and, crucially, the commercial details.
Renault Netherlands already says explicitly that orders open on September 14. The Belgian professional website is slightly more cautious, saying the Trafic will be orderable this autumn, but its launch offer applies to orders placed from September 14 until the end of December. Production at Renault’s Sandouville plant is due to start at the end of 2026.
Technically ambitious
On paper, the newcomer is one of the most technically ambitious electric vans on the market. It is Renault’s first vehicle built around Ampere’s Software Defined Vehicle architecture and its first with an 800-volt electrical system.
The long-range version combines an 81 kWh NMC battery with a targeted WLTP range of up to 450 kilometers, while a cheaper 60 kWh LFP battery should offer close to 350 kilometers.
Renault claims the long-range battery can be charged from 15 to 80% in about 20 minutes on a 240 kW DC charger. A rear-mounted 150 kW motor produces 345 Nm, while payload reaches up to 1.25 tonnes and towing capacity is two tonnes.
Despite offering up to 5.8 cubic meters of load space, the Trafic stays below 1.90 meters in height and has a remarkably tight 10.3-meter turning circle.
Much tougher market
But Renault will arrive in a much tougher market than when the van was first previewed. Kia’s smaller PV5 Cargo offers up to 416 km WLTP and is advertised from €29,895 in the Netherlands.
Ford’s E-Transit Custom reaches up to 370 km and lists from €44,390 excluding VAT there, while Belgian promotional pricing currently dips to €35,384.
Hyundai has meanwhile priced its new Staria Electric Cargo at €39,995 excluding VAT in the Netherlands, promising the same 450 km range and roughly a 20-minute 10-to-80% charging time.
That leaves price as one of the biggest unanswered questions for Hanover. Renault will have to position the Trafic carefully between lower-priced newcomers such as the PV5 and established fleet favorites such as Ford’s Transit Custom.
More importantly, Renault wants the new Trafic to compete on more than battery size. Its SDV architecture is designed to allow functions to evolve after purchase via over-the-air updates.
Companies will be able to integrate delivery, route or fleet-management applications directly into the vehicle, while predictive maintenance can monitor component wear, diagnose faults remotely and help schedule repairs before a van is forced off the road.
Continuous software upgrades
Renault even argues that continuous software upgrades could support residual values, because a three- or four-year-old Trafic may gain functions that were not available when it left the factory.
For fleet operators, that potentially matters more than another few kilometers of WLTP range: downtime and depreciation are among the biggest contributors to total cost of ownership.
There is also a broader industrial story behind the van. In June, Renault bought Volvo Group’s 45% stake and CMA CGM’s 10% stake in Flexis, taking full control of the electric-LCV venture behind the new architecture. Renault Trucks will nevertheless market a vehicle based on the same platform from 2027.
So Hanover will be less a traditional vehicle unveiling and more a first real commercial test of Renault’s new electric-van strategy. With a 450 km range and very fast charging rapidly becoming less exceptional, the question is whether software, fleet integration and lower downtime can give the Trafic an advantage that customers are actually willing to pay for.
