These are the first official pictures of the production Fluence and Kangoo electric cars, which are due on European roads in 2011.
The French car maker predicts that 10 per cent of all cars will be powered by electricity by 2020 and, along with alliance partner Nissan, is planning to be one step ahead of the competition with its family saloon and commercial van offerings.
First to arrive will be the Fluence ZE – an electric version of the conventionally-powered Focus-sized Fluence saloon. Drive comes from a 70 kW electric motor, which powers the front wheels and the range is 160 kilometres. The batteries are lithium-ion units, weigh 250 kg and are located behind the rear seats. Batteries can be recharged from a household supply in 6 – 8 hours, at a fast charge station in 30 minutes, or via a ‘Quickdrop’ facility, which allows the car’s flat battery to be taken out and swapped for a fully charged one in just three minutes. To mark it out from its petrol-powered sibling, Renault has added blue-tinted head and taillights, gloss black mirror housings, and the battery charge flaps on both wings. Inside, the rev-counter has been replaced by a display for range and battery charge, while the dash gets ZE-specific trim.
Production begins at the Bursa plant in Turkey early in 2011. Renault’s first two markets for the cars will be Israel and Denmark, where at least 100 000 vehicles are expected to be sold over the first five years. UK sales will follow shortly after the initial launch in mid to late 2010.
The Kangoo goes into production at Renault’s Maubeuge plant in northern France in the second half of 2011. It uses a smaller 44 kW motor but retains the same 160 kilometre range as the Fluence. The lithium-ion battery is mounted under the load bay floor, so carrying capacity remains the same as the conventionally-powered version. The battery is charged from a mains supply in 6 – 8 hours, which Renault considers perfect for a commercial vehicle – a fleet of Kangoo ZEs will be used by the French postal service to prove the concept.
Renault has also announced that it will build the car previewed by the Zoe Z.E. Concept in Flins, near Paris, while the car derived from the Twizy concept car will be produced at the Valladolid factory in Spain. The car’s debut coincides with the UK government’s planned introduction of a 25 per cent discount off the purchase price of an electric car, which comes into force in 2011.
Although pricing has not been confirmed, Renault will charge separately for the vehicle and the battery pack. Customers can either buy or lease the sedan, or van, just as Americans will do with the Nissan Leaf. The battery, however, will remain the property of Renault and will be leased to customers for a monthly fee. The plan is to price the car and battery so that the total cost of ownership and operation is similar to what you would pay for a comparable diesel-powered car and fuel.
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