Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Renault launches two all-electric vans to make bustling cities cleaner and quieter

By

Paris-based Renault has introduced an electric version of the Master, a full-size van that competes against the Euro-spec versions of the Ford Transit and the Ram ProMaster. The battery-powered van was introduced during the Brussels Auto Show.

Power for the Master Z.E. is provided by a relatively small, 33-kilowatt-hour battery pack that zaps a 57-kilowatt motor. The motor is located in the Master’s engine bay, while the pack is shoe-horned under the cabin in the space normally occupied by the fuel tank in order to retain the diesel-powered Master’s full cargo capacity.

Recommended Videos

Buyers can expect a charge to last for 124 miles, though the European testing cycle for electric vehicles is notoriously optimistic. The Master Z.E. is hardly a long-range electric vehicle, but Renault explains it was developed specifically for businesses that primarily operate in big cities, and local governments who only need to drive a few dozen miles a day. A full charge takes six hours.

Related

The Master Z.E. is all but identical to the standard, diesel-powered model when it’s viewed from the outside. Three wheelbases and two roof heights are available.

Renault caters to customers who need a smaller van with an all-electric Kangoo, a Transit Connect-sized model. The Kangoo Z.E. isn’t new, but it has been updated with the same 33-kWh battery pack as the Master, and a faster on-board charger. A redesigned motor rounds out the upgrades.

The Kangoo is now certified to cover 168 miles on a charge, though the real-world figure is again expected to be lower. A newly standard heat pump ensures it maintains autonomy even in cold climates. Renault promises a full charge also takes just six hours when the van is plugged into a wall socket.

The updated Renault Kangoo Z.E. will go on sale across Europe this summer. Buyers looking to add the Master Z.E. to their fleet will need to wait until the end of the year. Pricing information will be published closer to each van’s on-sale date.

The Master will be the only electric full-size van available in Europe when it goes on sale. However, rival Volkswagen is expected to introduce a battery-powered Crafter before the end of the year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Don’t let the gimmicks fool you. The Ioniq 5 N is a serious track car
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N drifting.

We’re finally getting to the fun part of automakers’ methodical quest to replicate their lineups with electric cars.

Performance versions of ordinary cars have been a staple of the auto industry for decades. But while we’ve already seen some variants of EVs boasting more power and more impressive stats — think Tesla Model S Plaid or Lucid Air Sapphire — the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the first to truly apply that format to an EV.

Read more
The Maserati GranCabrio Folgore is one of the best-looking EVs yet
Front of the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore

Maserati is adopting electrified vehicles with open arms, and while that could potentially signal an identity crisis for the luxury Italian brand, that’s probably a good thing in the long run.

The company recently took the wraps off of the new Maserati GranCabrio Folgore, which is essentially a convertible version of its already released GranTurismo Folgore electric car. The new EV is its third go at electrified vehicles so far, and it flew us out to Rimini, Italy, to witness the big reveal in person.

Read more
EV warranties aren’t like those for non-electric cars. Here’s what you should know
Close up of the Hybrid car electric charger station with power supply plugged into an electric car being charged.

EVs are on the rise. With awesome new models finally rolling out and charging networks rapidly expanding, it feels like we're at the tipping point of electric cars being as mainstream as non-electric vehicles. But with a whole new type of vehicle come new challenges. One challenge is adapting to charging times. Another is paying closer to attention to range. And another, as some drivers are finding out, has to do with electric car warranties.

Turns out, the warranty that comes with electric cars isn't necessarily quite the same as the one that you might get with your non-electric car. If you really think about it, that's probably not all that surprising -- after all, while they can look the same, electric cars have a completely different makeup under the hood compared to their gas-powered cousins. But understanding an EV warranty could be the difference between winding up having to pay thousands for a battery replacement, or getting one repaired on the house.
It's not all new
Before diving into things like battery warranties, it's worth doing a quick primer on car warranties in general. EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles usually come with two different warranties -- at least when they're bought new. First, there's the basic warranty (also known as bumper-to-bumper warranty), which covers every part of a car except for basic maintenance, usually for up to three years or 36,000 miles.

Read more