Groupe Renault has acquired the French company Power Vehicle Innovation (PVI), which specializes in the conversion of commercial vehicles to electricity or natural gas.

PVI worked with Renault on the development of the upcoming Renault Master Z.E. This large electric van, which was unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in January and is due to be launched later this year, is aimed at fleets running last-mile distribution services in the city, as well as local governments. It is equipped with a 33 kWh battery pack and a 57 kW motor inherited from Renault’s ZOE passenger EV. It has a range of 200 km (124 miles) on the NEDC cycle.

PVI currently offers three fully-electric powertrain solutions, covering a range of gross vehicle weights from 3.5 tons to 26 tons.

PVI brings EV expertise and a small-scale, flexible production facility to the deal, while Renault will provide economies of scale. “This acquisition is part of the Group’s strategy to develop its business by proposing a complete range of electric LCVs coupled with connected services,” said  Ashwani Gupta, Senior VP or Renault’s LCV Division.

Source: Renault via Green Car Congress