- Renault is reinventing its Espace as an electric minivan concept.
- The EV makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show later in October.
- Tech details are scarce, but it matches a Honda CR-V for length.
The car that reinvented family transport for European drivers in the 1980s is itself being reinvented. Renault’s E-Space Concept, an electric reboot of the Espace minivan, makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show next week, and Renault’s pattern of quickly turning concepts into real production cars tells us this VW ID. Buzz rival could be in showroom two years from now.
Renault calls the newest EV a “future-focused version of the original” – that original being the boxy, fiberglass-bodied van (MPV to Europeans) from 1984. The first-generation Espace launched in Europe only a few months after Chrysler’s K-car minivans debuted in the US. More recently the Espace badge has been used on a three-row, combustion SUV, a clear sign of how far minivans had fallen out of favor.
Related: Millennials Grew Up Mocking Minivans, Now They Can’t Buy Them Fast Enough
But maybe the tide has turned. Renault clearly wants us to remember what made the original Espace great, and includes some subtle retro influenced to help us. The stubby nose features a short hood and vertical face, this time with LED lights and an illuminated Renault diamond badge, and the windshield is raked like a sports car’s.
A perfectly horizontal waist line runs through to a vertical rear end and maximizes interior space, though Renault doesn’t offer any data about seating capacity or luggage space. Previous Espace models have had both two- and three-row seating configurations, sometime with front captain’s seats that swivelled 180 degrees, and though there are no interior images yet, it looks like the concept is a two-row van.
Honda CRV-Sized
Renault hasn’t given much away in terms of tech specs, only revealing that the concept is 4.7 m (185 inches) long, making it roughly the same length as a Honda CR-V. But it previously confirmed a new RGEV platform for compact cars that gains 800-volt electrics, while costing 40 percent less to build than its current cars.
The new motor that comes with the RGEV architecture makes up to 271 hp (275 PS / 202 kW), versus 217 hp (220 PS / 162 kW) for today’s equivalent, and Renault said a range-extender option could boost electric driving range from 466 miles (750 km) to 879 miles (1,400 km).
Could Be Two Years From The Showroom
It took three years for Renault to productionize its Renault 5 concept, but only two to bring the Twingo to the road. The smaller car was developed with Chinese help to supercharge the development process. If the E-Space gets the same treatment, we could see a fully legal version on the road in Europe two years from now.
Renault’s lack of presence in the US means it won’t be offered in the US, which is a shame, because minivan sales in North America have experienced a resurgence lately. Having abandoned them for more fashionable SUVs years ago, buyers are rediscovering how useful minivans really are, with millennials the driving force behind the trend.
One Of Several Paris Debuts
The E-Space will be a major draw to Renault’s stand at this month’s Paris Motor Show, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it also had an original (above) on hand to stoke the nostalgia. But the E-Space won’t be the only draw. The brand is also showing its Gordini 8 electric coupe concept, a Twingo electric subcompact with a new Twingobay panoramic glass roof, the facelifted Scenic and Megane, and the 4 JP4x4 concept it previewed at this year’s Roland-Garros French Open tennis tournament.
