Flexis is a new electric van company with plans to target the European urban delivery market with three vans destined for a 2026 launch.
The company might well be a brand new one, but it stands a better chance of making it to launch thanks to it being backed by parent companies Renault and Volvo. Most importantly, though, the vans it has revealed will also be branded and sold as Renaults.
However, Flexis will remain a standalone brand, selling its own vehicles. Its ties to its parent companies removes a lot of the costs involved with setting up a new brand, as lots of the assets are already in place. The best example of this is the production facility – instead of having to build or buy a factory, the Flexis branded vans will be made at Renault’s plant in Sandouville, the same location that currently produces the Trafic medium van.
Flexis is planning to target big fleets with all sales set to come directly via the manufacturer, while the Renault and Renault Trucks equivalents will be available through the conventional dealer network.
Trio of vans planned
There will be three light commercial vehicles offered when Flexis launches, with a panel van, small cargo box van and a larger step-through van all in the plan. All three will sit on the same skateboard-style platform that is similar in concept to that under other modern vehicles.
This means that different style of vehicles can sit on top of the same flat and simplistic base. Said base has the battery built in to the chassis, rather than requiring its own holder that would add weight, which would then reduce range and payload.
The panel van is set to be the first to launch, in the earlier part of 2026, and it is sized similarly to a low-roof medium van such as the Ford Transit Custom. There will be two lengths on offer, with the latter measuring 400mm longer. There will only be one height, though, with it sitting at 1.9m tall, enabling it to get under the 2m barriers that are a common place around town.
Flexis also says that the platform is designed to offer a 500mm-high entry point that it claims is a class low. This results in less up-and-down clambering for drivers, reducing the stress on their legs and knees over a day’s deliveries.
The rear of the van is a comparatively standard panel van, although there will be a wide potential for conversions and racking, says Flexis, as the company aims to make adaptability a core part of its offering.
Those who want more space and even more ease of access might well be drawn to the step-through cabin of the larger model.
This is much taller than the other two and offers a bulkhead with a sliding door that allows direct access to the loading bay from the cabin. This will allow drivers to locate a parcel from the rear of the van without exiting it and walking around. The door offers an internal height of 1.9m, meaning the overall vehicle is much higher than the panel version.
However, the cabin and front part of the vehicle is identical to the others, meaning that you get the same dashboard, driving position and equipment regardless of which you go for. This taller vehicle is very familiar to the Renault Estafette concept that was shown at the 2024 IAA van show. At the time, Renault said that the concept was close to being production ready, and the model that Flexis showed shared a lot of features in terms of design and layout.
The third model is a small box van, with a larger cargo capacity and higher payload than the other two. This rear box is easily convertible and can be offered as a refrigerated van, among other things.
What are the payload and ranges of the new Flexis Renault vans?
Although the final details are yet to be confirmed, the indication is that the smallest version will have the highest payload, with a capacity of 1.5-tonnes. The panel van will be able to carry up to 1.2-tonnes and the largest will be able to take up to 1.0-tonne.
There will be a choice of two batteries, with a maximum possible range of 450km (280 miles). This is likely to be for the cargo van, with the panel van promising around 400km (249 miles) and the high van around 320km (199 miles).
They will all be powered by an 800V motor that is located at the rear of the vehicle.
All three are optimised to be easy to drive around town, with a turning circle of around 10.3m for the largest step-in van. Flexis says they have the manoeuvrability of a B-segment car, like a Renault Clio or Volkswagen Polo.
What makes the Flexis vans different?
It might seem unusual for Flexis to launch as a standalone company while also providing the vehicles to Renault, but the company is aiming to sell directly to large distribution companies and already has a few letters of interest from firms in different countries. It has linked up with logistics company Hived in the UK as well as DB Schenker in Germany.
For now it is concentrating solely on the European market, with no plans to expand rapidly to America or elsewhere, but it says that the vehicles are designed to be able to meet the requirements in other markets should this change. The only difference between the right and left-hand-drive models is the positioning of the steering wheel.
Flexis is also majoring on how it can support these big companies, saying that it will be able to provide backup in the form of data and logistical support. This data can integrate with customers’ existing fleet management software or be interpretated by Flexis.
The company says it will be able to help monitor the health of the van and assess how a customer is using it to instigate proactive maintenance to act on potential pressure points before anything goes wrong. It will also be able to help install and maintain elements such as charging infrastructure to help companies with their uptime.
How much will the Flexis Renault vans cost and when can I buy one?
Pricing is not yet confirmed for the Flexis vans, nor are equipment levels or even the names. There is set to be more information on all of these in the coming weeks and months before a 2026 launch.
Flexis will be heading to the CV Show at the NEC at the end of April, with more information due before then.
One feature that is being looked at is the prospect of a pay-as-you-go pricing structure, which would see customers being able to pay less if they put fewer miles on their van. It isn’t entirely clear how this would work but Flexis says that it could be flexible enough to see payments going up and down on a weekly basis.
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