Renault's electric revolution

French firm stuns Frankfurt Motor Show with four battery-powered cars that will cost no more to buy and run than conventional petrol models.

Auto Express Car Reviews

21st September 2009

The switch has been flicked on Renault’s electric future! The French firm shocked the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show by unveiling a range of electric concepts that will cost the same or less than their petrol equivalents when they reach showrooms as early as 2011.

Spearheaded by the Fluence Z.E. saloon (above), Renault will launch a supermini, a small van and a four-wheeled alternative to a scooter. The programme, which has so far cost 4bn Euros, will also see models launched by partner firm Nissan.

All Renault’s new cars use an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack which can be quick charged in 20 minutes to 80 per cent of its capacity.

There’s a revolutionary approach to the buying process, too. While customers own the car, they only lease the batteries. Renault guarantees customers will not have to find someone to take over the battery rental if they sell the car, and if they choose to part-exchange, the dealer will take the car and Renault the cells. If owners sell privately, the battery rental is transferable with the car.

With no running costs to speak of, other than charging, Renault guarantees its electric models will be no more expensive to run than a petrol or diesel car. What’s more,

the Z.E. range will qualify for £5,000 UK Government grants that will be available to electric vehicle buyers from 2011.

Included in the asking price will be the fitting of a charging point at the owner’s home. Batteries can also be swapped at ‘Quickdrop’ points. Renault is talking to fuel companies, governments and utility firms to ensure the infrastructure is in place by 2011. The firm already has 100,000 orders for its new models from businesses in France, and chief executive Carlos Ghosn believes the Z.E. range could make up 10 per cent of sales by 2020.

Fluence Z.e. 2011
Based on the Mégane, the zero-emission Fluence will be the first electric model to arrive. It will look nearly identical to this concept, minus the 21-inch wheels. Showing that electric cars need not be small or slow, it’s a five-seater powered by a 95bhp electric motor, enabling 0-60mph in less than 10 seconds. What’s more, it boasts a range of 100 miles, thanks to lithium-ion batteries mounted between the rear seats and boot.

ZOE Z.e. 2012
This Clio-sized model is the most intriguing of the four concepts. It’s been designed solely to run on electricity and offers a spacious five-seat layout. Power comes from a 95bhp electric motor that’s capable of 100 miles on a charge, and it can do 0-62mph in seven seconds and hit 87mph. It will go on sale, minus the opening roof and the wild doors.

Kangoo Z.e. 2011
Set to take the van market by storm, this electric Kangoo has a rugged load area. Conventional wing mirrors will replace the concept’s cameras, but the 100-mile range will remain.

Twizy Z.e. 2011
According to Renault, this two-seater concept is remarkably close to the production version. It has a range of 60 miles and a 50mph top speed, and will cost about the same as a range-topping scooter – around £3,000.

2 Comments

Theme : Addressing Range Anxieties.

1. The range of noticeable EVs are sufficient to meet the daily driving needs of more than 95% of drivers ((The vast majority of people (95%) drive less than 100/km a day, 82% of the respondents said they drive 40 miles or less a day, with an average daily driving distance of 27 miles.)).

As for long trip needs, all but Americans and many of developed nations have existing automobiles, in this regard, EVs are best suited to their daily use until the infrastructure comes into wide use. And people are already doing that.

2. The on-board IT system shows the driving radius on a maximum range display under the current state of charge and calculates if the vehicle is within range of a pre-set destination. And the navigation system points out the latest information on available charging stations within the current driving range.

3. In 21st century, home, workplace, or stores etc also serve as a charge station as electricity is everywhere. With a long extension code inside, just in case, riders can get help from almost anyplace, not to mention the stores to provide charge service, and many of EVs are equipped with a quick charger.

4. Unlike fuel price, as time goes by, the price of battery is expected to drop dramatically in the foreseeable future as with computer components, in that case, mounting additional battery might be not a problem. And the EVs that come in a range of 200 to 300 miles between charges are on fast-tract toward mass-market, as Batteries become more efficient.

5. Indian EV maker Reva said it has also set about addressing anxieties about e-car range, this fantastic wireless electricity/ "instant remote recharge" will be widely available down the line.

6. The vehicle-to-grid communication technology is helping the battery serve as a storage to prevent the costly blackout standing at about to 100bn per year. That means utilities are shedding cost for additional storage facilities and ratepayers are selling electricity during peak demand so that EVs can make more economic sense, as we know. ((The cost of running the vehicle should be 1 to 2 cents per mile, compared to 10 cents or more per mile to run a gas car. Electric vehicles require little maintenance -- no oil changes, for instance --. Better still, they can sell electricity or charge at the stores offering charge service.))

It is also in the best interest of electricity utilities that EVs are going mainstream, thereby they need to put in charge stands where needed around highways, major roads with card readers or cell phone tech.

7. I'm hopeful that the charge network will extend the select districts to nation-wide scale throughout the world, and this environment can usher in active private investings in EVs. And I remain confident that investing in charge stands could give rise to multiple times as much investing effect, so to speak, some billions of investing, this simple deployment, could call into the most-sought energy independence and solid recovery around the world.

Thank You !

By hsr0601 on 24 September, 2009, 5:28am

Yes but not yet.

Renault have come up with a great set of vehicles... but only for when there is the infrastructure to support them... which won't be for at least five years.

It seems clear that the current best approach is the electric drive with a charging motor - as exemplified by the Jag/Lotus approach.

The pure electric means that a long journey must be done in two hits with a stop for either recharge [20 minutes at least] or a battery change [not every street corner]. So the purchaser of one of these will need a second petrol car for normal longer journeys.. They will all say 'very interesting' and leave their wallet in their pocket!

However the recharging engine approach allows normal service - the engine just cuts in when needed on a longer journey. If you stop where there is a charge point you never use the engine. [Incidentally, the notional emissions and range figures will need a complete re-invention to match real life usage.]

Where the effort needs to be placed is in the technology of the charging engine. It runs at constant speed and power output so could be optimised to give some spectacular efficiency... It can use any fuel or operating cycle. An LPG Stirling engine may be the best way forward.

Because it is such a change in direction - and a vehicle non-essential - the field is open for manufacturers outside the auto industry to carve a huge niche for themselves. Think of the small rotary engines used in microlights or the engines used in pilotless military drones.

Manufacturers will not worry about the origins of the engine - just its performance - because it will not be the sale maker that current engines represent.

So lets see that technology supported and breathed-on by government money... that will give us the car we really want.

Pete Yates MIMechE

So