Renault unveiled the new electric Trafic Van E-Tech during the IAA Transportation 2026 event, held in Hanover, Germany, this Monday, the 14th. Shortly after, at the same exhibition, this utility vehicle was unanimously awarded International Van of the Year 2027, a distinction granted by a panel of 26 European journalists.
This van offers a range exceeding 470 km on the WLTP cycle, although certification is still pending. In urban driving conditions, the capacity reaches approximately 690 km, which, according to the manufacturer, is sufficient to support up to five days of work without needing a recharge. The vehicle features an 81 kWh battery and operates on an 800 V architecture, allowing it to recover up to 280 km in just 20 minutes, or 380 km in urban use.
The Trafic represents the first vehicle from the Renault Group and the first light commercial vehicle in Europe to incorporate the SDV architecture, meaning 'software-defined van'. This technology replaces the approximately 80 electronic modules of a traditional vehicle with two supercomputers that run the CAR OS, an operating system based on Android and developed in collaboration with Google. This advancement enables remote functionality updates, similar to a smartphone, and paves the way for predictive maintenance implementation.
Maintaining the essential attributes of a utility vehicle, the Trafic offers a cargo volume of up to 5.8 m³, a payload capacity of 1.3 tons, a towing capacity of 2 tons, accommodates three European pallets, and has a loading height of 53 cm. With a height of 1.89 m, it can access underground parking lots, and its turning diameter of 10.3 m is comparable to that of a compact hatchback. Additionally, there is an outlet in the cargo compartment intended for powering electric tools.
The Trafic is the first of five new light commercial vehicles that Renault plans to introduce by 2028, as established in its strategic plan futuREady. The brand positions itself as the second largest in the European segment, behind the Master, which dominates the large van category. Designed and manufactured at the Sandouville plant in France, the model will initially be launched as a van this year. Double cab and chassis cab variants will be added to the line in 2027.
According to Renault, the total operational cost of this vehicle can be up to 10% lower than a diesel equivalent, and its carbon footprint over its lifetime is reduced by more than 45%, emitting 33 tons of CO2 equivalent versus about 63 tons of a similar diesel, considering 200,000 kilometers driven. In the Brazilian market, the Trafic has not been available since the early 2000s; Renault's commercial line in the country is supplied by the Master model, produced in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná.