Renault targets last-mile delivery in urban cities with EZ-Flex LCVs

French vehicle major, is undertaking an experiment to better understand and last-mile urban deliveries, with the Renault EZ-Flex. The concept is an experimental electric and connected LCV that is both compact and agile, this the company says it was created and designed for sustainable mobility and delivery efficiency in urban areas.

The company says the EZ-Flex is more than a vehicle, it is a real work tool. The concept vehicle will be lent to various professionals in Europe to collect all relevant data usage to better understand the needs associated with daily delivery in urban areas.

Renault says the volume of transported goods in the world is expected to quadruple by 2050. Within this context, at the end of 2018, the carmaker presented its vision of the future of urban delivery in 2030 with the electric, autonomous and connected Renault EZ-Pro concept car. With EZ-Flex, an electric and connected vehicle, Renault is preparing for the future by exploring the new uses of last-mile delivery.

The Renault EZ-Flex will be at the Renault stand at the VIVA Technology fair from May 16 to 18, 2019 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (France).

The OEM says the EZ-Flex is a compact and manoeuvrable vehicle designed to move seamlessly throughout cities. The vehicle has an optimal footprint in relation to its load space: the length (3.86m), width (1.65m) and height (1.88) are small enough to enable access to car parks. Its 3m³ load capacity is exceptional for its dimensions and made possible by a compact cockpit which still offers the full range of assets of a true LCV. The 4.5-m turning circle provides excellent manoeuvrability in the streets of city centres.

Renault says everything was designed to meet the needs of a delivery driver; wide access to the cockpit; a clear central dashboard for quick and easy access to driving information;  excellent visibility and simple and efficient controls. The interface is modern and apes the functionality users experience with their smartphones. It offers services and applications linked to the vehicle and can integrate further applications linked to various professionals’ activities.

The rear loading is optimised via an ergonomic loading height (760mm above ground) and opening enabling easy access to the entire load-bay. The vehicle was also designed to enable a wide variety of configurations for the cargo-bay. These rear space configurations are adaptable, designed to meet the different needs of the assorted professionals to whom the vehicle will be lent.

As an electric vehicle the EZ-Flex will be able to access city centres, and will come with a range of 100km adapted to the needs of urban delivery (urban deliveries require driving 50km per day on average).

Renault will be piloting a dozen EZ-Flex vehicles with various professionals, companies, cities and municipalities in Europe. The experiment is expected to last about 2 years. The vehicle is equipped with sensors to better understand its use. The professional users will further enrich this data with their feedback during the experiment. Different data types will be collected including but not limited to: Geolocation, mileage, range, use of cargo opening, speed and stops among others. This data will then be transferred via the vehicle’s connected system, either in real-time or once per day, to understand the reality of daily use.

The analysis of the data, twinned with the users’ feedback, will enable Renault to design vehicles which are better adapted to the evolution of urban logistics.