Renault has developed a new electric delivery vehicle for the last mile, which it hopes to improve through real-world tests with delivery companies.
The carmaker said it was lending out a dozen of its EZ-FLEX vehicles to various companies and public authorities in an effort to gain data on the requirements of daily urban delivery.
Data including geolocation, mileage, range, speed and stops will be transferred to the vehicle’s connected system in real time or daily to help Renault understand how the vehicle is used.
The experiment will last about 2 years, allowing Renault to optimise the vehicle’s design in an approach which it called a “breakthrough in the automotive industry.”
The EZ-FLEX has a range of features to make it suitable for the urban last mile, offering a range of 150km, optimised for rear loading and providing a small turning circle for manoeuvrability. According to Renault, urban deliveries require driving 50 km per day on average.
Users can access services and applications related to the vehicle through their smartphones. There is also a dashboard for managing information about the vehicle and the urban environment.
Renault said the trial will help the world prepare for upcoming growth in transported goods, with the volume expected to quadruple between now and 2050.
Delivery companies including DPD are trialling using electric vehicles for the last mile as urban regulation becomes more stringent.