The result was announced at the IAA Transportation show in Hanover on 14 September, with the Trafic receiving a unanimous vote from the 26-member jury representing 26 European countries. The award comes 25 years after the previous Trafic took the same title in 2002.
For Renault, the timing is notable. The company won the award with the Master in 2025 and the Kangoo Van in 2022, while the original Trafic II took the title in 2002. Previous wins also include the Master II in 1998 and Kangoo Z.E. in 2012.
A new electric direction for the Trafic
The award comes as Renault moves the Trafic into a new generation with an electric-only platform. The van is being developed and built at Renault's Sandouville plant in France, continuing a model line that has sold more than 2.8 million units since its introduction in 1980.
The new van uses an 800-volt electrical architecture, designed to support faster DC charging, while Renault says its Software-Defined Van architecture will allow functions and vehicle software to be updated over time.
That software approach is potentially significant for fleet operators. Rather than treating the vehicle's specification as fixed when it leaves the factory, Renault says the system will allow regular over-the-air updates, with the potential to add or improve functions during the van's life. Renault also links this to maintenance, safety and residual value, although the real-world impact will depend on how the system is implemented and supported.
The IVOTY jury says its assessment considers factors including efficiency, safety, environmental performance and the sustainability of light-goods transport.
Range and charging will be key
Renault is targeting more than 290 miles of range for the new Trafic E-Tech electric, although final homologation figures are still pending. Renault Group says urban driving could deliver up to 690km under its stated test conditions, while 800V charging can add up to 173 miles of range in 20 minutes.
For van operators, those figures will ultimately need to be considered alongside payload, weather, driving conditions and the type of work the vehicle is being used for. A van covering short urban routes every day has very different charging requirements from one making longer regional journeys.
The new Trafic is also designed to be relatively manoeuvrable for its class. Renault quotes a 10.3-metre turning circle, equivalent to the figure given for the Renault Clio, which could be useful for businesses regularly operating in tighter urban environments.
The UK context is still developing
UK buyers and fleet managers will need to wait for confirmation of local specifications, pricing and availability before making direct leasing or fleet comparisons.
For now, the award puts the new Trafic alongside a growing group of electric vans being developed specifically around the demands of commercial users, rather than adapting an existing combustion-powered van to electric power. In the meantime, the current Renault Trafic E-Tech remains available to lease, for operators who want to make the switch to electric now rather than wait for the new generation to land in the UK.
For fleet operators considering an electric van, the important questions will come once the UK specification is confirmed: how much it costs, how much it can carry, how quickly it charges and what it costs to run in everyday use.
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