Renault Flexis: the new Trafic, Estafette and Goelette revealed

Renault’s collaborative electric van range has finally been unveiled: meet the new Trafic, Estafette and Goelette.

The race to define the next generation of delivery vans is officially heating up, and Renault is the latest manufacturer to pull back the curtain on its future plans. 

Following last year’s announcement that Renault and Volvo would be teaming up to form Flexis — a potential LCV market final boss of the future — last month’s sneak preview of the collaboration’s lineup felt a long time coming. But the goods have now arrived, comprising three Renault badged urban delivery vans set for a 2026 release: the new Trafic, Estafette, and Goelette. 

The range consists of ‘100% electric, 100% connected, 100% urban-centric, and 100% customisable urban logistics vehicles’. Similar to the recently teased Mercedes VAN.EA platform and Kia’s inbound PBV masterplan, this will be achieved through an EV skateboard platform onto which different body configurations can be fitted, all equipped with Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) electronic architecture. And with that, consider two huge future industry trend boxes ticked: modularity and interconnected fleet — buzzwords which we only expect to hear more of as time goes on. 

The Trafic E-Tech electric

Perhaps the most surprising inclusion of the three models is the new electric Trafic. Does this mean the medium-sized stalwart will be going all-electric after 46 years? We’re not sure, but it seems like a statement of intent.

We’re picking up some distinctly Stellantis vibes here, like an electric Vauxhall Vivaro with a futuristic twist. This is blended together with the sensible design language found across the range, featuring smooth horizontal lines, subtly rounded edges, and a generally clean aesthetic. It may not be greeting passersby like its future competitor — the Kia PV5 — but it does give off an air of tasteful utilitarianism.

Of the three Flexis vans, this is the most akin to the medium-sized last-mile delivery vans on the roads today, and in true Trafic fashion, the aim here seems to be to provide a versatile all-rounder.

Bringing corner-positioned wheels for optimised cargo space, a trim 1.9 m height to avoid bumping its head in parking lots and garages, and a turning circle which can match a Renault Clio, we see a functional city operator in the making. That said, based on the aerodynamic profile alone, we’d also expect this variant to have the longest range of the offerings, so escaping LEZs for delivery destinations further afield may be on the cards too. 

The Estafette E-Tech electric 

During the initial Flexis reveal we said the blank ‘step-in’ model reminded us of the Estafette concept without the flavour, but we didn’t realise just how right we were. Now confirmed as the bona fide Estafette reboot, the neon yellow of the concept is all gone, leaving behind a sleek but very plasticky looking exterior — although, that’s not necessarily a bad thing when operating in a ding-prone commercial setting. 

Despite the features beneath the oversized panoramic windscreen now being relatively anonymous, the Estafette is still the most futuristic looking of the trio, delivering a visual mash up of Rivian’s fresh faced ECV and BYD’s sterner E-VALI. In short, it may not be as loud as it had the potential to be, but perhaps not everybody wants a work van which draws a crowd?

So, it looks functional. But is it? The Estafette’s lofty 2.6 m silhouette doesn’t just bring the capacity benefits you’d expect, it makes it ergonomic to operate too. The 1.9 m internal height clearance relieves the stress on your joints by allowing you to enter and walk upright through the van, including between cockpit and cargo area. And, to make shifts even more comfortable, the driver’s seat is positioned to reduce the impact on the drivers’ knees, reducing an estimated 250 movements per day — a consistent feature across the range.

Thanks to the shared platform, all vehicles also feature a low floor height for easy loading and unloading, which in this case is possible through the sliding side doors or rear shutter door. 

The Goelette E-Tech electric 

And last up, covering the slightly more niche end of the market, the Goelette cargo van: a lesser-known reboot from Renault’s archives, only on the road for 10 years from 1956. Adhering to the design theme, this also looks like a somewhat more grounded and traditional approach to tackling the future than its potential competitors such as the boxy-backed ELM Mobility EVOLV, or Mobilize’s cubic little Bento. 

In our eyes this is an aesthetically pleasing option — for what it is at least — and the modular element of the range is most evident here, bolstered largely by the storage box which looks like something you could pick up from a certain Scandinavian furniture shop’s glossy section. And honestly, we think the no bells-and-whistles approach taken here works. 

Few details have been given on this variant so far, but like the original Goelette, adaptability looks set to take centre stage. There will be three core versions: chassis cab, box, and tipper, all kept flexible to allow for conversions to suit user needs. So much so, that Renault boast the potential ‘for a virtually infinite range of fittings and customised features’. Doesn’t get much more adaptable than that.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on the new Renault x Flexis range as details and reveals continue to drip through.

Hero image credit: Newspress UK