Z car in Olympic bid

There’s a real buzz about this new Renault. Called the ZE, it’s an all-electric urban runaround based on the Kangoo Be Bop, which was also unveiled in Paris.

Living up to its green colour scheme, it’s packed with energy-saving features. These include heat-reflective paint and insulating bodywork that mimics a thermos flask, helping to keep the cabin temperature constant. Solar panels on the roof power tiny cameras fixed in place of mirrors, which reduce drag.

Under the skin is a 94bhp electric motor with 226Nm of torque, driven by lithium-ion batteries. It also introduces a clever new way of charging an electric car, rather than plugging it into the mains. When the ZE goes on sale in late 2011, owners will buy the battery pack on a monthly contract, and swap flat cells for fully charged ones at designated stations.

It’s based on a system used in Israel, and Renault is working on establishing a European infrastructure. However, the race is on to have the set-up in place by 2012 – in time to make a bid to be the official car inside the London Olympics Village.