Meet the new Renault Trafic Van E-Tech Electric

Electric vans are slowly but surely becoming A Thing, aren’t they? Just a few weeks ago we were cruising around in the new Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo, now Renault has gone and revealed a 'leccy version of its Trafic van.

No visual cues here to give away the powertrain, but perhaps that’s the point: more than 2.2 million examples of the Trafic have been shifted since its launch in 1980, so why meddle with the recipe?

A 52kWh battery affords 149 miles of range (WLTP certification pending), while there’s a 90kW motor (that’s 121bhp in more familiar terms) driving the front wheels.

Maximum payload comes in at 1.1 tonnes and the towing capacity is given as 750kg. The Trafic is available in two lengths - 5.08 or 5.48 metres, to be precise - with load volume ranging from 5.8 to 8.9 cubic metres. Meanwhile the maximum load length can be extended to 4.15 metres on account of the ‘through load’ bulkhead feature on the larger L2 model.

Inside there’s a modern multimedia system, and to cap it all off you can charge at up to 22kW on an AC current (you’ll manage no more than 7kW on a single-phase connection at home, mind) or 50kW on the DC chargers typically found on motorway service stations.

It joins the electric Master in Renault’s line-up, which - while it’s been around for a good number of years - now has stiff competition in the shape of the Ford e-Transit.