Date set for direct sales of the electric LCV in Australia
Renault Australia is further expanding its light commercial presence with the Kangoo ZE scheduled to hit Australian shores in November.
Coming fresh off the back of last week’s announcement of the automated transmission Kangoo diesel, the launch will see the French company begin direct sales of the electric compact van in the country.
A staple of the European market since 2011, Renault Australia electric vehicles senior model line manager Elena Woods says “bringing the Renault Kangoo Z.E. to Australia has been a long-held goal for us… we are really excited to offer our customers the opportunity to make a giant step forward in terms of innovative transportation.”
According to Renault the van has topped Europe’s electric vehicle commercial market since its launch, with the 25,000 models sold to date holding a 34.5 per centstake in the segment.
“Our success in Europe and the strength of the Renault-Nissan Alliance will serve us well, as we launch a new generation of electric vehicles into the Australian market,” Woods says.
“The Kangoo ZE has been in demand for some time and we have now secured supplies that will certainly give operators the perfect work vehicle.”
The version arriving in Australia comes with an updated battery, motor, heat pump and charger to improve the driving range and ease the charging process.
With the updates, Renault believes that Kangoo ZE can fully charge in six hours. And in one hour can get enough juice for 35km.
The model has a European-measured range of 270km but Renault says 200km in real-world summer-climate driving would be an equivalent.
Powering the Kangoo is an R60 electric motor, which delivers 44kW (60hp) of power and a maximum torque of 225Nm, connected to a 33kWh Lithium-ion battery.
With only the long wheelbase version arriving, the model’s capacity will be 4m3, its payload 650kg and its turning circle reaching 11.9m.
Among the standard features are ABS, ESC, Hill Start Assist, cruise control, rear view camera and Bluetooth connectivity.