- Flexis Mobility, backed by Volvo Group and others, reveals plans for a 2026 launch of its electric commercial vans, slated to be based on a skateboard platform of its own development.
- The brand’s EV lineup will consist of three models: a cargo van, panel van and step-in van, all aimed at logistics businesses.
- The EVs are slated to be produced at Renault Group’s plant in Sandouville, France, and will offer ranges of up to 280 miles in the WLTP cycle.
The launches of EV startups with an eye toward last-mile delivery may have been in fashion a decade ago, but it is now painfully evident that just a few large players are left, and almost all of them are backed by traditional, established automakers.
However, there might be room in the market for one more EV delivery van startup.
Flexis, established as a joint venture in 2024 by Volvo Group, Renault Group, and CMA CGM, aims to launch electric delivery vehicles and services starting next year.
Based on a skateboard platform developed by Renault’s Ampere unit, Flexis envisions a range of small, “urban proof” delivery vehicles meant for busy city settings, able to send data in real time to fleet managers and receive over-the-air updates.
The vehicles themselves have been designed with delivery and cargo tasks in mind, and feature customizable interiors, low floors, DC fast-charging capabilities, and a range of up to 280 miles in the WLTP cycle.
A total of three vehicles are expected to kick off the range including a panel van, cargo van, and step-in van.
The company is now in pre-production phase after 20 prototypes have been completed and have racked up over 9,000 hours of driving since March of 2024, with Flexis looking to begin series production by the middle of next year.
The company says it has letters of intent for some 15,000 vehicles over a three-year span, including from logistics giants like DB Schenker.
“Since the creation of Flexis, we have worked with customers and logistics players to co-create the services to meet operational needs and improve the B2B offer on the market with a solution that is 100% electric, 100% connected, 100% customizable and 100% designed for cities,” said Philippe Divry, CEO of Flexis.
Over the past year the company has already invested some €350 million ($365 million) in the development of these three models, which will be built at Renault Group’s plant in Sandouville, France.
The company has revealed that it has 10 letters of intent from commercial customers in France, Germany, and the UK for up to 15,000 vehicles over a three-year period.
A substantial part of Flexis’ pitch to logistics companies is a central digital platform dubbed FlexE Connect that will display fleet metrics, as well as a customer operation center with staff dedicated to diagnostics and real-time monitoring.
Another significant part of its pitch to clients will be existing service networks backed by Volvo Group and Renault Group—something that shorter-lived startups had not been able to offer. This promise of a ready service network is easily one of Flexis’ most important assets at the moment.
“We are proposing an offer that allows us to answer the needs of logistics players in a tailor-made way that is capable of meeting their sustainability, operational, and economical objectives,” Divry added.
For now, Flexis plans to keep its offerings on the other side of the Atlantic, though US companies with a presence in Europe will certainly be able to purchase them there.
Is there room in the commercial EV sphere for more new arrivals, especially in the last-mile delivery business? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
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