Renault Kangoo E-Tech review
The Kangoo E-Tech is an excellent electric van with a big battery, a decent range and plenty of performance
RRP £28,025
New car deals
Best price from £19,794
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £19,794
RRP from: £28,025
Available now
From £19,794
Electric Van
Small Van
Van
Jump to:
Introduction
Performance & drive
Interior
Passenger & boot space
Buying & owning
Phil Huff
Updated: 20 November 2024
How we test cars
Anyone who's ever ordered an item online will know how demand for home deliveries has soared. And for drivers tasked with bringing packages to your front door, the Renault Kangoo E-Tech seems like a perfect fit.
You see, the Kangoo E-Tech is an electric van aimed mainly at businesses doing lots of local drop-offs. It’s a rival to three other all-electric small vans: the Citroën ë-Berlingo Van, the Peugeot e-Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Electric.
New car deals
Best price from £19,794
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £19,794
RRP from: £28,025
Available now
From £19,794
The Kangoo E-Tech gets a bigger battery than its predecessor (called the ZE), with a 45kWh usable capacity rather than 33kWh, adding crucial extra miles to its range from a full charge. It also has a new electric motor with 121bhp – well up on the 59bhp of the previous model – and a lot more space inside.
It's available in two body lengths, giving buyers some choice on what size of van they go for. You can have a panel-van variant with two front seats or a crew-cab option with seats for five people.
advertisment
scroll for more
Read on to find out more about the Renault Kangoo E-Tech and how we rate it against the best electric vans...
Read more: The best vans in every class
Verdict
The Renault Kangoo E-Tech’s powerful motor and fast-charging batteries make it a quick electric van with a useful real-world range. A spacious, comfy and practical interior and a decent load volume make it the best choice among a growing field of small electric vans.
Pros
- Good electric range
- Powerful electric motor
- Spacious passenger and load compartments
Cons
- Lacking on some options until crew cab version arrives
- Slightly more expensive than some rivals
New car deals
Available now
Performance & drive
What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is
With 121bhp from its electric motor, the Renault Kangoo E-Tech electric van positively scampers along country roads. If you've driven its predecessor (the Z.E.), you'll definitely feel the difference, and it even has more power than the top-rated 1.5-litre diesel engine in the regular Renault Kangoo.
Its 181lb ft of torque gets you away from traffic lights easily, and the pulling power is relentless all the way up to the 81mph top speed. Underlining that point is the fact that the 0-62mph sprint takes just 11.6 seconds, which is impressive for a van. The result is that the Kangoo E-Tech feels pleasantly quick, whether you’re moving around town or overtaking on a motorway.
advertisment
scroll for more
The new 45kWh battery pack provides a WLTP-certified range of 186 miles, which is longer than most rivals manage. You’re more likely to see 160 miles or so in real-world conditions, but that’s still enough for most drivers, especially if they can plug in to recharge the battery at home or work between jobs.
The Kangoo E-Tech has an Eco mode designed to reduce power by around 35% to help you eke out the battery, although we didn’t see any change to the projected range read-out on our test van when we switched between modes.
All the latest deals, offers and much more from the What Car? team. Don't miss out.
See our full privacy notice for more details.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
You have a choice of three levels of braking regeneration. The highest level does a good job of slowing you down as it recovers energy to feed back to the battery, but the stopping force isn’t enough to bring you to a halt, as it is with some electric cars with one-pedal driving.
Speaking of the brakes, they’re effective enough, but suffer from the same inconsistent feel as plenty of the electric vans, so they take some getting used to.
Despite carrying around a heavy battery pack, the Kangoo E-Tech handles very well, with direct steering that’s well weighted, and the ride takes most of the sting out of larger bumps and ruts in the road. It certainly rides better than the Citroën ë-Berlingo electric van, the Peugeot e-Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Electric.
advertisment
scroll for more
Tips & Advice
Charging an EV at home
You can charge your EV from a three-pin socket, but a home EV charger is faster and more convenient. Here are the best
Do I need to use public EV chargers?
Charging at home is almost always cheaper, but if you need a quick top-up, we have revealed the best charging networks
Interior
The interior layout, fit and finish
Most drivers will have no trouble getting comfortable in the Renault Kangoo E-Tech electric van. There’s lots of adjustment in the seat, and the steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake. The pedals, seat and steering wheel aren’t quite in line, but even after an extended stint behind the wheel, we didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Most of the materials you touch regularly inside the van feel of good quality. The steering wheel is covered in pleasant faux-leather, and although most of the materials are of the hard plastic variety, they’re at least textured to keep things interesting, and feel built to last.
Entry-level versions of the Kangoo E-Tech come with a simple stereo and Bluetooth connection, but other versions have an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. We found that the system responds quickly to inputs, but we do wish the shortcuts on the side of the screen were buttons rather than touch-sensitive areas.
advertisment
scroll for more
You don’t need to delve into the touchscreen to adjust the air-con as you do in some electric van (including the larger Ford E-Transit) – you get chunky dials that make it easy to select your desired temperature, direction and fan speed.
The driver’s information display can put a wealth of information, including your speed, driving assistance features and media sources, right in front of you. Analogue dials in the instrument cluster show your speed, acceleration input and, helpfully, the amount of charge left in the battery.
On the move, the electric version of the Renault Kangoo is exceptionally peaceful. Once the synthesised whine of the low speed noise generator disappears, there’s hardly any road noise and no obvious wind noise, making this a serene van to cover big miles in.
There’s a reversing camera to help with parking and – for drivers who might be nervous about the sizeable blind-spots in vans – the passenger vanity mirror has been enlarged so it can also function as an extra driver mirror.
Passenger & boot space
How it copes with people and clutter
You can get the Renault Kangoo E-Tech electric van in two sizes – standard wheelbase and long-wheelbase Maxi – with maximum load volumes of 3.3m3 and 4.2m3. For comparison, the longest versions of the Citroën ë-Berlingo electric van, the Peugeot e-Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Electric have a maximum load volume of 3.9m3.
advertisment
scroll for more
The standard L1 model’s payload is well below the 750kg rating that the smallest versions of those rivals can handle, while the Kangoo Maxi’s 800kg maximum matches their longer versions. The mid-range L2 Kangoo can manage a decent 764kg. No matter which version you go for, you can tow a maximum braked weight of 1500kg.
Innovations introduced with the Kangoo E-Tech include an Easy Inside Rack – a retractable hanging storage system that lets you transport items up to 2.5m long. It’s ideal for ladders or bits of pipe.
You won’t want for storage space inside the cab, with a total of 44 litres. The door bins are large enough to hold a one-litre bottle of water each, you get cup holders in the centre console, there's a big glovebox, an overhead storage compartment and even an extra storage bin behind the instrument cluster.
The crew cab variant can seat five people in a 2+3 configuration. Helpfully, in that version, the second row of seating can be flipped forwards using a lever. It lies flat against the driver and passenger seats so that if you don't need the seats you can use the space for storage. The seats of the crew cab Citroën ë-Berlingo Van only partly fold to improve load space.
Buying & owning
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Electric vans are rarely cheap, but the Renault Kangoo E-Tech has always been competitive on price, and the same remains true here. You’ll pay a little more to put one your driveway than you would for most rivals, but the differences are marginal – especially when you take into account how much kit is included as standard with each of the two trim levels.
advertisment
scroll for more
Entry-level Start models come with a DAB radio, electric front windows, cruise control and 16in steel wheels.
Ways to buy
Cash from £19,794 Own the car outright. No monthly payments.
Available Now from £19,794 Choose a car from stock. Drive away today!
Higher-spec Advance gets a lot more kit for a fairly modest increase in price. It adds an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen, reverse parking sensors and a volumetric alarm approved by the security experts at Thatcham Research. If you can afford to, we'd recommend choosing Advance.
The Kangoo E-Tech has a maximum charging rate of up to 80kW, meaning a 20-80% top up of the battery can take just 40 minutes if you’re using a suitably powerful charging point. It’s worth noting that some small electric vans – including the Toyota Proace City Electric – can do the same job in slightly less time, thanks to their peak charging rates of 100kW.
Charging the Kangoo E-Tech to 80% with a slower 22kW charger takes 1hr 21min, and while charging with a three-pin plug is possible, it will take much longer.
Drivers can use the My Renault App to schedule their charging to avoid peak times, and the app can help you find your nearest charging station if you find yourself running low. Plus, if you don’t already own a home charging unit, Renault can bundle one in alongside your van purchase.
advertisment
scroll for more
Safety features include the option of lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control, plus traffic-sign recognition and blind-spot warning. In terms of driver aids, the most helpful is a rear-view assist camera that streams a constant view of what’s behind you on to a small screen where the rear-view mirror would usually be.
We don't have specific reliability data for the Kangoo E-Tech, but as a guide, Renault came a decent ninth out of 31 manufacturers ranked in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. Citroën came seventh, Peugeot was 19th and Vauxhall finished in 29th places.
Read more: How we test vans
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Tips & Advice
How much does it cost to charge an EV
A dual-rate tariff can slash your home-charging bills by up to 70% if you charge overnight. There are environmental benefits, too
Similarly priced cars
Nissan Townstar EV
If you're interested in finding a Renault Kangoo E-Tech, or any of the other electric van cars mentioned here, head over to our Cars available now pages to find new cars listed for sale at great prices.
Renault Kangoo specifications
RRP price range
£28,025 - £34,785
MPG range across all versions
40.9 - 53.3
Available fuel types (which is best for you? )
Diesel, Petrol, Electric
Number of engines (see all)
3
Number of trims (see all)
3
Warranty
3 years / 100,000 miles
Company car tax at 20% (min/max)
£1,812 - £2,137
Company car tax at 40% (min/max)
£3,625 - £4,273
New car deals
Best price from £19,794
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £19,794
RRP from: £28,025
Available now
From £19,794
About the writer
Name: Phil Huff
Title: Van reviewer
Follow Phil Huff on
Phil Huff has been writing about cars and vans for newspapers, magazines and websites since 2012 but spent a decade before that covering the somewhat speedier world of F1. Today, he’s fully immersed in the LCV world, spending more time talking about gross vehicle weights than 0-62mph times.
More Renault Kangoo
Used reviews
- Used Renault Kangoo MPV 1999 - 2009
New reviews
- Renault Kangoo van
Longterm reviews
- Renault Kangoo van long-term test
Category rankings
- Best electric vans
Similar car reviews
- Nissan Townstar EV
News and advice
Sponsored
Electric van grant: every model eligible for zero emission van grant
It’s possible to save as much as £5000 on the list price of a new electric van. We show you how - and which models qualify
Tue Jun 2 2026
News
Citroën, Fiat and Vauxhall vans now cost the same as diesel versions
Businesses can now finance an electric Citroën, Fiat or Vauxhall van for the same price as diesel equivalents
Fri May 29 2026
News
New BYD Dolphin Cargo e-Van offers 265-mile range and commercial practicality for £36k
BYD’s electric city car has gone commercial with a new van variant that should offer a class-leading range
Thu May 28 2026
Sponsored
Best electric vans 2026 – charged, tried and tested
The number of electric vans available to buy is growing, but which ones offer the right blend of range and practicality to make you go green, and which are the loose connections? Here we list the best electric vans on sale
Mon Jun 1 2026
See all latest advice
All Electric Van reviews
Citroën Ami Cargo electric van
Citroën e-Relay electric van
Dacia Spring Cargo
Farizon SV
Fiat E-Doblo
Fiat E-Ducato electric van
Fiat E-Scudo
Ford E-Transit
Ford E-Transit Custom
Iveco eDaily electric van
Kia PV5 Cargo
Maxus eDeliver 3
Maxus eDeliver 5
Maxus eDeliver 7
Maxus eDeliver 9
Mercedes eCitan
Mercedes eVito
New Citroën ë-Berlingo Van
New Citroën ë-Dispatch
New Mercedes eSprinter
New Peugeot e-Partner
New Vauxhall Movano Electric
New Vauxhall Vivaro Electric
Nissan e-NV200 electric van
Nissan Townstar EV
Peugeot e-Boxer
Peugeot e-Expert
Renault Kangoo E-Tech
Renault Master E-Tech
Toyota Proace City Electric van
Toyota Proace Electric van
Volkswagen e-Crafter electric van
Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo electric van
Show more