The new Kangoo Van E-Tech electric will be sold throughout Europe, starting in spring 2022.
Renault, which boasts of being a pioneer in electric mobility and a leader in electric commercial vehicles in Europe since 2011, says the Kangoo E-Tech has won the hearts of 70,000 professional customers since its launch and accounts for one in five electric utility vehicles sold in Europe.
Set to be shown to the public for the first time this week at a car show in France, Renault claims the new Kangoo Van E-Tech electric is the culmination of more than 10 years of know-how that Renault has been fostering in the field of electric vehicles.
Renault says that thanks to its new lithium-ion battery with a fully usable capacity of 45kWh, the new Kangoo Van E-Tech electric boasts a range of up to 299km on the WLTPi cycle. It adds that this gives electric LCV drivers enhanced peace of mind for a full day of work trips (within urban environments ), with unbeatable ownership and running costs. The battery, located under the vehicle floor, has no impact on the cargo area capacity.
Renault says the new Kangoo comes equipped with a 90kW motor boasting 245Nm of immediately available torque for what it claims is a smooth and stress-free driving experience. It adds that the Eco mode that caps the vehicle's power output and top speed helps optimise the range and is best used when carrying a light load. The driver can also choose between three regenerative braking levels: Sailing (B1 ): limited regenerative braking, suitable for driving on motorways and faster roads; Drive (B2 ): default regenerative braking that has an ICE motor feel when taking the foot off the accelerator; and Brake (B3 ): maximum regenerative braking for use in heavier traffic and on steeper roads. Also, on the new model, conventional hydraulic braking is assisted by ana daptive regenerative brake system, which Renault says maximises the amount of recovered energy regardless of the selected braking option. The range of drive and braking modes means drivers can choose between six different driving options for optimal comfort and range according to their specific vehicle use and the traffic conditions.
Information pertaining to the selected driving mode, electric power management, and advanced driver assistance systems ) is displayed on a fully customisable, optional, 10-inch digital instrument panel. To recharge the battery, Renault claims this new Kangoo offers a choice of three charging methods. The standard model features an 11kW three-phase chameleon charger, suitable for all types of household charging setups. Optional chargers include the 22kW chameleon charger for rapid charging on public terminals and the 80kW rapid-charge DC charger that can recuperate 170km (WLTP ) of range in 30 minutes. With the two optional chargers, the battery is fitted with liquid cooling capabilities.
This new Kangoo Van E-Tech electric’s battery takes 3.50 hours to go from 15 per cent to 100 per cent charge when plugged into a 11kW wallbox, and less than six hours on a 7.4kW wallbox. To guarantee the same reliable range in all seasons, the new Kangoo electric’s air conditioning system comes fitted with a heat pump. When paired with the 22kW charger, heat is taken from the air around the vehicle to warm the passenger compartment without using an electrical resistor that consumes energy. The heat pump performs best when the ambient temperature is between -15°C and +15°C, a very common range for the cold seasons in most European countries.
Also, the angoo Van E-Tech electric features a heated windscreen, heated front seats, and heated steering wheel as optional extras.
Renault reminds us that this van offers the same innovations, equipment and comfort as the new Kangoo Van with ICE powertrains. These include the innovative ‘easy inside rack’ retractable interior gallery, the ‘Renault easy link’ multimedia system with 8.0-inch display, hands-free key card, and automatic parking brake. It is also available with three front seats with a central folding backrest that turns into a mobile office, almost 60 litres of storage in the cab, as well as the latest generation ADAS, including adaptive cruise control’ with stop & go, and the motorway and traffic companion that marks the first step toward autonomous driving.
The new Kangoo Van E-Tech electric also boasts the same haulage and traction capacity as its ICE counterpart – storage volume up to 3.9m3 (4.9m3 in the yet-to-be-released longer length Kangoo ), 600kg of payload (800kg in the long format ), and 1,500kg of towing capacity.
Thanks to the Renault smartphone app or Renault Easy Link multimedia system, this van comes with a selection of specific connected services that can be used to programme and schedule battery charging, remotely monitor battery levels, pre-heat or cool the passenger compartment, search for charging stations along the route, or calculate which destinations are accessible with the remaining battery.
