Renault's New Electric Minivan Channels an '80s Icon

Renault is reviving one of its most recognizable nameplates, and this time it comes with a battery instead of a tailpipe. The French automaker has teased the E-Space Concept, a fully electric people mover that it describes as a spiritual reboot of the original Espace minivan that first hit the road in 1984. That earlier van became a fixture of European family transport, and Renault clearly wants to tap into that nostalgia while pitching something thoroughly modern.

The shift is notable because the Espace badge has spent recent years attached to an SUV rather than a boxy MPV. With the E-Space, Renault appears to be steering the nameplate back toward the silhouette that made it famous. The “E” reportedly stands for E-Tech, the company’s electrified technology branding, while “Space” nods to the roomy, tech-forward cabin the concept is meant to offer.

Dimensionally, the electric minivan measures roughly 4,700 mm long, placing it in the same bracket as the Kia PV5 and the short-wheelbase Volkswagen ID. Buzz. Those are the models it would square off against if it reaches production. Styling stays close to the first-generation Espace’s proportions but with contemporary touches: a broad U-shaped lighting strip runs across both the front and rear, an illuminated floating diamond motif sits at the front center, and the squared-off running lights carry a clear family resemblance to the Renault 5.

Renault has kept technical specifics under wraps for now. The company has been rolling out lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries across its EV range to bring costs down, so the electric minivan would likely adopt the same chemistry. Reports point to the new RGEV Medium 2.0 platform underpinning the vehicle, a setup that could support a driving range in the region of 500 miles and is also engineered to accept an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) configuration.

More details are expected on October 12, when Renault pulls the covers off the E-Space Concept at the Paris Motor Show. The concept will share the stage with two other design studies, the Renault 8 Gordini Concept and the Renault 4 JP4x4 Concept, alongside production and special-edition models including the Megane E-Tech Electric, the Trafic E-Tech Electric, a heavily customized Renault 5 Turbo 3E, and the Rafale Hypnotic.