Flexis launches three software-based electric van models. Production from 2026, range up to 600 km

One native electric platform, three types of vans, a joint venture created and supported by three international transportation and logistics champions. Innovation is indeed the common thread running through the Flexis project, which was officially introduced last year and showed its most concrete face in Paris. Renault, Volvo and CMA-CGM, the French logistics giant, have staked their chips on an electrification project that aims to revolutionize urban logistics soon. Indeed, it’s quite clear now that the vans of tomorrow will be very different from those that we see on the roads of Europe today and will represent a step forward in terms of efficiency, above all.

Flexis CEO Philippe Divry speaking

Philippe Divry, a lifetime in automotive and a recent stint as a manager at Volvo, is convinced of this, and he is anything but concerned when we point out to him that the latest data published by ACEA show a backward trend in electric mobility, even among LCVs. “We have little doubt that the transition will materialize by 2030, and even more so looking ahead to 2035. Logistic operators are asking us to do this.” Not surprisingly, Flexis announced that 10 letters of intent covering 1,500 vehicles altogether have been signed so far. Among the possible customers mentioned in Paris were DB Schenker, France’s Colis Privé, and London-based startup Hived.

In Paris, therefore, we saw prototypes of the three types of van that Flexis is expected to produce: a panel van belonging to the medium segment, also available as a cargo van equipped with a presumably refrigerated box, and the innovative North American-designed stepvan that others (Arrival, for example) had been banking on and that would truly be a first for the European market. The latter is a 2.6-m high vehicle with a low floor and access via a sliding door on the right side. The cab is connected to the cargo area by a door. The seat, cockpit, central display and steering wheel are clearly Renault-derived, while the big news is the (customizable) “delivery button” that the driver can activate when he needs to make a delivery. The door leading to the loading area is then opened, the door exiting the vehicle from the curb side is unlocked, and the sensor that detects movement on the curb itself is activated.

Vehicle features and software-side innovations (more on this later) will give, according to the French company, a 20 percent increase in overall efficiency over the thermal equivalent, with a carbon footprint reduction in the order of 60 percent calculated over the entire product life cycle. Another important, and repeatedly stressed, element is the European sourcing of 80 percent of the materials from which the vehicles are made, although more precise details were not provided.

Over 700 million euros invested

Volvo and Renault have each invested 300 million euros in the project, while CMA-CGM has added 120 million euros. To date, about 100 people are engaged in Flexis, with the goal of doubling the number of employees by the end of this year. Speaking of targets, efforts will be made to reach production by mid-2026: Flexis will produce its electric vans in Sandouville, Normandy, on the same lines that Renault uses today to assemble its vans, including the ICE ones. Flexis carries out quite a special distribution strategy, which will understandably rely on the sales (but also service) network of Renault and Renault Trucks (Volvo group). These manufacturers will also be able to commercialize the electric vans under their own brand. We will, therefore, have next-generation vans with the Flexis, Renault and Renault Trucks logos.

“Being able to rely on an existing and proven manufacturing facility is a great advantage for us,” added COO Krishnan Sundararajan, who outlined the main technical features of the native electric platform. “A 100-volt electrical architecture, the ability to recharge the batteries to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes, as well as the ability to install battery packs with different chemistry, LFP or NMC, in a single housing.” As well as, we add, a turning diameter reduced to 10.3 meters “equal to that of a B-segment car.” Flexis managers did not go into detail about the vehicles’ range, which is expected to touch 600 km in the urban cycle, although there are clearly too many factors to consider.

Software-based. What does this mean?

And here we come to the software. Flexis electric vans will be software-based, meaning that the development of the vehicle management software will accompany that of the hardware part from the beginning, also providing for constant updates and over-the-air, that is, without going through the workshop. This will not only help maximize the benefits of predictive vehicle maintenance, but will also facilitate the integration of the software part into the user’s digital ecosystem. Starting with the Flex-e Connect fleet management platform, up to new systems designed to facilitate loading and delivery operations that we hope to see in operation soon.

Finally, the four pillars outlined by Pierre Sirolli, four years at the helm of Renault Trucks Italy before embarking on the Flexis adventure. “Uptime, that is, making sure that our customers’ work is interrupted as little as possible, also thanks to accurate data analysis; charging, that is to say guaranteeing customers the best options for loading vehicles; then, operational efficiency and insurance and financial advice.” In addition to the vehicle purchase price, which at Flexis they assure will be very competitive, a ‘pay-per-use’ package will be offered to access ecosystem services, according to a formula that has not yet been communicated in detail, however. The very first markets, at the moment, are France, where the company is headquarters, UK and Germany, which record the most significant figures in Europe. Italy, as well as other European nations, will probably come at a later date.