Renault Group has completed its acquisition of Flexis, taking full ownership of the electric van venture responsible for developing the next generation of Renault’s electric light commercial vehicles.
Following regulatory approval, Renault has acquired the remaining stakes held by Volvo Group and logistics giant CMA CGM, bringing its shareholding from 45% to 100% and making Flexis a wholly owned Renault subsidiary.
The move brings an end to the ownership structure established when Flexis was launched as a joint venture between Renault Group, Volvo Group and CMA CGM to create a new family of purpose-built electric vans based on a dedicated EV architecture.
Despite the ownership change, Renault stressed that the original industrial plan remains unchanged, with production of the Renault Trafic Van E-Tech electric still scheduled to begin at the Sandouville plant in France before the end of 2026.
The announcement provides fresh clarity on the future of one of the most ambitious electric van programmes currently under development in Europe.
Flexis was established to develop a completely new generation of commercial vehicles using a dedicated skateboard platform rather than adapting existing diesel van architectures. At launch, the company unveiled three Flexis models: a panel van, a cargo van and a step-in delivery van.
Renault will market these vehicles as the next-generation Trafic E-Tech, Goelette and Estafette respectively.
Central to the project is a Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture developed using technology from Renault’s Ampere electric vehicle division. The platform integrates an 800-volt electrical system and has been designed from the outset as a pure-electric architecture, allowing greater flexibility in vehicle design and future software integration.
Flexis was originally conceived under former Renault Group chief executive Luca de Meo as a standalone electric van manufacturer that would combine vehicle production with digital fleet services. The company has spent the past two years developing the platform and associated software ecosystem ahead of production.
Renault said its engineering teams will now complete development of the electric van range and associated services, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges facing urban logistics operators and fleet customers looking to decarbonise their operations.
Importantly, Volvo Group’s involvement in the project will not disappear entirely. As part of the longstanding partnership between Renault Group and Renault Trucks in light commercial vehicles, Renault Trucks will continue to market and distribute the vehicle from 2027 onwards.
This arrangement had always been expected, with Renault Trucks previously signalling its intention to offer Flexis-based products through its own dealer network, particularly in specialist conversion sectors.
The first vehicle to reach production will be the new Renault Trafic Van E-Tech electric. The model will replace the current Trafic E-Tech and become the first fully electric van built on Renault’s SDV platform.
