Renault ZOE van with 400km range makes debut

The pure-electric Renault ZOE hatchback has been turned into a commercial van that will have a WLTP-verified range of 394km when it goes on sale in Europe later this month.

Featuring heavily tinted rear glass, the complete removal of the rear seats and a protective load guard, the ZOE's transition from passenger car to van hasn't been as dramatic as you might think.

Powered by the same 52kWh battery as the long-range ZOE Q90, the van also shares the same single electric motor that produces 80kW of power and 225Nm of torque.

That's enough for a brisk 3.9-second 0-50km/h sprint and a 11.4sec 0-100km/h dash.

Charging for the ZOE is via a 50kW DC fast-charger that can top up the batteries from flat to 80 per cent in a claimed 70 minutes, with a half an hour charge said to be good enough to add 145km to the range.

A 22kW charger, meanwhile, can completely charge the batteries from flat in just three hours.

Inside, the small electric van offers one cubic metre of space, with the load bay measuring 1205mm long by 1110mm wide.

The maximum payload is rated at 387kg.

In markets like the UK, equipment levels are high, with the standard van offered with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, a 7.0-inch infotainment screen that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus electric windows and mirrors.

More expensive versions add sat-nav, wireless smartphone charging, parking sensors and a reversing camera, plus lane keep assist and departure warning.

In Europe the Renault ZOE van comes with a five-year, 160,000km warranty that includes eight-year coverage for the battery.

In the UK, the ZOE van has been priced £9415 ($A17,000) below he cheapest ZOE hatch, meaning that if it was offered Down Under the van could be priced at around $A30,000.

There's no word yet whether Renault Australia is considering introducing it here.