Trafic voted Van of the Year 2002

• With its striking design, New Trafic looks dynamic and sturdy, and make a clean break with conventional LCVs. No fewer than 33 variations are available, with two wheelbases (3,098mm and 3,498mm), two payloads (1,000kg and 1,200kg) and three type of body (van, combi and platform cab), making it suitable for the needs of a wide range of businesses.

• The common-rail turbodiesel engines, available with 80bhp and 100bhp (a 133bhp version will be added later), and the 2.0 16V petrol unit developing 120bhp provide excellent performance and torque while keeping down fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and running costs.

• Maintenance costs, a key factor for buyers in the LCV market, are particularly low with New Trafic. Servicing is less frequent, with an oil change needed only every 30,000km (or two years), and the engine should last at least 250,000km.

• Ses motorisations turbodiesel Common Rail 80 et 100 ch (une version de 133 ch sera lancée ultérieurement) et essence (2.0 16V de 120 ch) favorisent les performances et le couple, tout en réduisant les niveaux de consommation, d'émission de CO2 et les coûts d'utilisation.

• Finally, New Trafic's safety equipment complies with a particularly ambitious set of specifications and makes this LCV a benchmark in its segment. One example is the four disc brakes fitted to all versions that give it class-leading shopping distances.

by Renault

Renault launches Trafic and Master models that run on B30 biodiesel

Renault launched B30(1) biodiesel-compatible diesel versions of two of its commercial vehicles in December 2006. Trafic 2.0 dCi B30 and Master 2.5 dCi B30 are the first expressions of Renault's commitment to biofuels, made by the company as part of Renault Commitment 2009, whereby all diesel engines sold in Europe by 2009 will be able to run on fuel blends containing 30% biofuel. Renault Commitment 2009 also makes provision for bringing to market by 2008 one million vehicles emitting less than 140 g/km of CO2, of which a third less than 120 g/km.

Trafic and Master vehicles fitted with diesel engines running on B30 biodiesel were released in France in December 2006. Trafic is available with a 90 hp and 115 hp 2.0 dCi B30 engine, while Master is equipped with a 100 hp and 120 hp 2.5 dCi B30 unit. These engines are able to run on diesel or on a diesel/biodiesel mix with up to 30% biodiesel content. Renault is targeting these models primarily at fleet customers who want to reduce the CO2

emissions of their vehicles.

Renault sees biofuels as one of the most efficient and economic ways of controlling CO2 emissions in the medium term, since it is easy to fit this technology on volume production models.

'Well to wheel', they are much more efficient than conventional fuels. An engine running on 30% biodiesel emits up to 20% fewer CO2 emissions than on conventional diesel, depending on the biological source. Produced from vegetable oils or biomass, biofuels are also renewable and diversified energies that limit our dependence on fossil fuels.

Biodiesel is just one of the offerings in the biofuel range marketed by Renault. In 2007, Renault will be one of the only manufacturers to provide its European customers with a double offer of biofuel-compatible vehicles. Alongside Trafic 2.0 dCi B30 and Master 2.5 dCi B30, Renault is launching a 110 hp 1.6 16V Mégane running on E85 bio-ethanol in spring 2007.

'Well to wheel'

To fully appreciate the environmental advantages of biofuels compared with fossil fuels, we should consider the global approach referred to as 'well to wheel'. The well-to-wheel approach can be used to make a thorough measure of CO2 emissions from the production of the fuel to its consumption by the vehicle. For fossil fuels, CO2 is emitted during the production (oil extraction and refining), transport and use of the vehicle. Because biofuels are made from biomass, the CO2 emitted by vehicles running on biodiesel is that absorbed by the plants (through photosynthesis) used to make the fuel. The CO2 absorbed by the plants during their growth can therefore be subtracted from the emissions total. Using local resources to produce biofuels also helps limit the CO2 emitted by transporting fuels (by sea or road) to distribution sites. Overall, biofuels are thus less harmful to the environment than conventional fuels.

Together with its work on biofuels, Renault is also committed to developing a range of technologies that are affordable for its customers. These technologies will contribute to reducing the CO2 emissions of its vehicles and to limiting global warming. To this end, Renault is looking at a mobility solution based on electric energy and developing a fuel cell as part of the Alliance. Renault's aim is to rank among the top three world automotive manufacturers in terms of reduced CO2 emissions.

(1) Biodiesel is a methyl ester vegetable oil. Oil is extracted from oleaginous plants – mainly colza or sunflowers in Europe, but soybean and palm in other parts of the world – and made to react with methanol through a processed called transesterification. The biodiesel obtained is mixed with diesel. A diesel/biodiesel blend containing 30% biodiesel is referred to as B30.

by Renault