The market for electric commercial vehicles (CVs) has been steadily growing in Singapore: According to the LTA, there were 3,338 electric goods vehicles at the end of 2023. That’s significantly more than the 1,894 electric goods vehicles that plied our roads in 2022, and quite a fair bit more than the fleet of 387 vehicles present if we look back one additional year.
There’s plenty of opportunity then, for this new Renault Kangoo E-Tech to gain some market share here, even if it must go up against the mighty assortment of vehicles that came from the former Groupe PSA that includes the compact Peugeot e-Partner and Citroen e-Berlingo, or the larger Opel Vivaro-e and Citroen e-Dispatch.
CREATING A NICHE
The Kangoo E-Tech is well-placed to find a niche here. With its 3,100mm wheelbase and its 4,300-litre loading volume, you’ll find that it nicely splits the size and cargo carrying capacity difference between the two models each offered by the brands of the French conglomeration.
Further pushing the Kangoo’s appeal is the fact that it has a fair bit of eye candy. There are chrome-finished touches on its front grille, while the rear gets a nice grey trim below its black plastic bumper.
I get that looks will hardly matter for those shopping for a workhorse. But think about this: If you’re going to plaster your brand atop the body of a van that won’t get covered in diesel soot, wouldn’t you want your company name and logo to appear on something that looks the part?
MOBILE WORKSPACE
The Kangoo E-Tech continues to offer some visual appeal (by commercial vehicle standards) in the cabin.
The seats have snazzy yellow accents, and the 8-inch infotainment display wouldn’t look out of place in a car from a generation ago. You even have the option to customise the layout of its homepage.
And all the usual accoutrements you’d expect from a work-ready commercial vehicle are here. There are plenty of cubby holes for all the equipment need when heading to a jobsite; extra USB ports are in the covered compartment ahead of the instrument cluster, so you can keep your electronics charged and away from jealous eyes; and there’s even a wireless charging port right at the bottom of the front fascia.
USER-FRIENDLY DRIVING
Turn that key and push that gear lever into ‘D’ and the Renault Kangoo E-Tech will also reveal itself quite the capable travel companion.
It’s responsive as most electric commercial vehicles are, which should give you a bit of an edge over your diesel-powered brethren when jostling for gaps on the road: An added comfort, no doubt, for those in trades that require the transport of some heavy tools.
And while you only get an “Eco” drive mode atop the default here (rival products offer three different drive modes), push that same lever into “B” and you can quickly switch between three different levels of regenerative braking simply by punching the lever forwards or pulling it back.
I found this to be a great addition for those long journeys as you’d be able to pass the time fantasising you’re in one of those trucks that take on the Dakar Rally whenever the road presents you with some uphill/downhill sections.
Adding to this fantasy is the fact that the Kangoo is not as softly sprung as the products now offered by the Stellantis Group. Having said that, I think most will find the fact that the Kangoo permits quite a fair bit of tyre noise into its cabin once you’re at speed even more of a bother.
But here’s where I think the Kangoo E-Tech can claw back some points amongst drivers and fleet managers alike: My three days with the van yielded an average energy consumption of just 6.3km/kWh, making it a touch more efficient than the offerings from the Stellantis Group when we tested them.
You might also want to consider the fact that the Kangoo E-Tech can also be charged up at a maximum power of 22kW at an alternating current charger – no small feat when you consider how even most passenger vehicles will only reach 11kW.
WELL-ROUNDED ELECTRIC CV
At $53,800, this Renault Kangoo E-Tech is asking for a bit more than the $49,500 Opel Combo-e (which comes with an inferior infotainment screen, mind) but is competitively priced against the $55,999 Citroen e-Berlingo and $53,888 Peugeot e-Partner (all prices without COE).
But with its 4,300-litre cargo space beating the cargo carrying capacity of its aforementioned rivals, it should have little issue muscling its way into the hearts and minds of local fleet managers and drivers alike. Be prepared to see more examples plying our roads as Singapore’s electric commercial vehicle population continues to expand.
This story was first published on Sgcarmart.
Renault Kangoo E-Tech (A)
MOTOR Permanent magnet synchronous
MAX POWER 121hp
MAX TORQUE 245Nm
GEARBOX Single-speed
POWER TO WEIGHT 69.7hp per tonne
0-100KM/H 11.6 seconds
TOP SPEED 132km/h
BATTERY 45.6kWh
RANGE 300km
CONSUMPTION 5.7km/kWh
PRICE EXCL. COE From $53,800
AGENT Wearnes Automotive
