Renault extends electric LCV range

Date: Friday, January 13, 2017 | Author: James Dallas

The Renault Master ZE

Renault has bolstered its claim to be the leading manufacturer of electric LCVs by unveiling two new plug-in vans at the Brussels motor show.

The brand is to launch a ZE version of its Master large van before the end of the year but this will be preceded by the introduction of a new Kangoo ZE light van with an extended battery range in mid-2017.

The Kangoo ZE has a range of 168 miles under the NEDC test, which is 50% more than the current model and the longest of any electric LCV on the market, Renault claimed. In real world conditions, Renault said the van could cover 120 miles on a single charge.

Full battery charging time has been reduced from eight to six hours and Renault has added a heat pump to the new Kangoo ZE that operates through the air conditioning system without significantly reducing range through over working electrical components, according to the manufacturer.

With 25,000 units sold since its launch in 2011, Renault claimed the Kangoo ZE has been Europe’s best-selling electric van for six years.

The brand has also brought its EV technology to the large van sector for the first time with the introduction of the Master ZE.

Created to meet the demands of last mile urban delivery and municipal businesses the Master ZE is equipped with the same Z.E.33 (33kWh) battery, mated to a R75 (57kW) motor, as its smaller Kangoo ZE sibling.

The plug-in Master has an official range limit of 124 miles and, like the Kangoo, can be fully charged in six hours.

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