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We missed it, now it’s back: green leaf. The sign in the middle of the digital display screen in Renault Trafic E-Tech Electric rewards everyone who drives ecologically. Time will tell how often this virtual seal of approval for efficiency will show up in the demanding daily work of a tradesman like Elektro-Trafic. The important thing is that the electric delivery van meets the varying requirements of the industry. This is even more important for Trafic E-Tech Electric because the truck is representative of the BEV medium van segment, which grew by 56 percent across Europe last year.
significant torque
For such a transport vehicle, the electric Renault transport with 122 hp (90 kW) does not appear to be very well motorized at first glance. But every thoroughbred truck driver knows that torque and displacement are almost more important for a comfortable ride. The power in Eco driving mode thus drops to 82 hp (60 kW), but 245 Newton meters of torque remain. Therefore, you can get along safely and well with Eco in the city and on intercity roads.
Unlike its younger sibling, the Kangoo E-Tech Electric, you can neither turn it off nor change the recovery in Stromer-Trafic, which you can feel at lower speeds. From an energy perspective, we prefer pure sailing because energy recovery always involves losses and the rider must always keep the deceleration staff in hand.
Good consumption values
The result is a standard consumption of 22.2 kWh/100 km. We even reached a top speed of 19.0 kWh/100 km during our test drive. This is a reasonable value since we were traveling with a load of 300 kilograms. With this extra load, the chassis is far from reaching its limits. What’s completely missing is a camera that projects the image onto a monitor that acts as a rearview mirror. So when we look at the rearview mirror we see a gray piece of hard plastic, and we are increasingly using side mirrors that do not take up the usual rear space. A rearview camera and versatile sensors help with maneuvering.
Renault states the maximum range of Trafic E-Tech Electric, equipped with a 52 kilowatt-hour battery, as 297 kilometers. This makes this minibus more suitable for urban areas and less suitable for long distances. For those who still need to cover more distance, the French manufacturer will soon introduce a “long-range” version of the electric truck that can travel up to 322 WLTP kilometers on a single battery charge. However, the maximum speed is later reduced to 90 km/h.
This brings us to charging, which in this scenario is likely to occur at the operator’s depot, usually at night. The standard equipment with an 11 kW onboard charger, which allows the energy storage unit to be charged from 10 to 100 percent in 5:42 hours with 16 amps, is sufficient for this. If you tick the 22 kW onboard charger on the equipment list, 15 to 80 percent can be topped off in less than an hour and a half at 32 amps. This add-on package includes a heat pump that increases efficiency. Since calculations in the logistics industry are made to the nearest penny, customers will order this option depending on the application scenario. Faster DC charging will only be available in a version to be released later in the year.
no restrictions
So how practical is E-Traffic? Renault executives emphasize that there are almost no restrictions compared to the internal combustion engine. The L2H1 version (5.48 meters long and 1.97 meters high) has a maximum capacity of 6.7 cubic meters. With its two sliding doors and wide-opening butterfly doors that can be folded completely to the side by opening the hooks with a single movement, E-Trafik does not fall behind this important value in the masters’ ranking. But we would have appreciated the passenger-side grab rails to make boarding easier. With a weight of 1,885 kilograms, you can fit up to 1,185 kilograms of cargo in the cargo area. So Stromer-Trafic is a real alternative to the classic carrier. For comparison: the version with an internal combustion engine weighs 66 kilograms more.
Only L2 versions will be available at the launch of the Renault Trafic E-Tech Electric this autumn. L1 variants of the minibus will arrive at the end of the year. The French still remain silent about E-Traffic prices. The L1 version of the combustion engine Traffic with a two-liter diesel engine and a 6-speed manual transmission starts from 30,900 francs, and the L2 version starts from 33,800 francs.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
