They want to become the Tesla of vans with electric motors.
Volvo and Renault join forces to conquer the electric van market. And, according to what they say, they want to become the Tesla of vans with electric motors. With this they would seek to take advantage of the moment in which the market for these commercials begins to grow.
Currently the electric car continues to advance in its market share. Brands like Tesla do not stop selling, Chinese manufacturers are rubbing their hands with what is to come and traditional manufacturers are preparing. But the commercial sector does not have as much “pull”, something that will change shortly.
Price is a great barrier to entry, in addition to other aspects. At the moment it is not a viable option for many companies, and this leads to sales not taking off. This is the gap through which Volvo and Renault want to enter, brands that will create their joint company to be able to take advantage of this business opportunity.
Flexis will be the name that will accompany the aforementioned manufacturers, aiming “to give a twist to the European commercial vehicle sector.” It will be a new brand, although it will be under the protection of these two companies.
The CEO of the Renault Group himself, Luca de Meo, has stated that “this will be, in a way, the Tesla of commercial vehicles. “That's how you have to look at it.” This sector has a potential annual growth of 40% until 2030, according to Flexis itself.
“It is no longer a white box with wheels and a diesel engine,” said Luca De Meo, referring to vans. They want to change the concept, they want to revolutionize the market. And they have a plan. At the moment, we do not know what it is but they seem convinced that they will achieve their objectives.
Regarding its first vehicle, Flexis has said that “it will be a van designed for last mile deliveries in city centers, prioritizing the efficiency with which it uses space and absolute maneuverability.”
“We were trying to take advantage of every second of interaction between the driver and the van, because every 30 seconds saved in a delivery we estimate represents an extra 1% of profitability for the logistics operator. It will have a mechanism to sort packages based on delivery route. Everything will be like this,” De Meo continued.
In this way, Renault Group and Volvo Group have obtained the necessary regulatory approvals to officially launch a new company to develop a new generation of 100% electric vans. These models will be based on a Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture, with dedicated services.
Renault and Volvo plan to invest respectively 300 million euros in the next three years. Likewise, CMA CGM Groupe has confirmed its interest in an investment of up to 120 million euros in Flexis SAS. He would do it through PULSE, his 1.5 billion euro investment fund.
Little is known at the moment, although Luca De Meo has given clues. And the CEO of Renault has said that they have been inspired by Rivian's ADV vans.