Renault Kangoo Be Bop

07th May 2009

Prepare for a shock – no sooner has Renault’s funky Kangoo Be Bop gone on sale than an electric variant has been unveiled.

Three engines are already available with the Be Bop – one petrol and two diesel. However, this latest version of the trendy MPV demonstrates what Renault has in store for future production battery-powered vehicles.

Named the Be Bop ZE, the model is based on the ZE Concept revealed at the Paris Motor Show last October. Low-energy lights and seriously reworked aerodynamics help to keep the ZE’s energy consumption at a minimum, while linear displays on the outside of the doors show how much charge is left in the battery simply by activation of the remote central locking.

But you don’t have to get out of the car to check the level– there’s another gauge inside!

Power comes from a 44kW (60bhp) zero-emissions electric motor which revs to 12,000rpm and is claimed to be 90 per cent more efficient than a conventional internal combustion engine.

Its range is expected to be about 160km, and recharging is simply by plugging into the mains overnight.
However, Renault and other manufacturers are working together to develop a standard plug which will quick-charge in as few as 20 minutes.

In July, the Kangoo Be Bop ZE will embark on a Europe-wide tour, during which it will be available for test drives. But Renault has even bigger plans, as it intends to launch a full-scale assault on the electric vehicle market in 2011.

Tell us about your car in our Driver Power survey.