Renault Fluence Z.E
The car that kicks off Renault’s electric campaign! The Fluence, due in summer 2011, is pretty much the same Megane saloon being manufactured in Turkey and sold across Europe right now.
Big difference of course is the lithium battery pack sitting behind the back seats and the electric motor under the bonnet.
>>READ OUR ROAD TEST OF THE FLUENCE Z.E
With the same 48-module lithium ion battery pack as the Kangoo ZE and the Zoe ZE, the Fluence is good for a 100 miles before needing a charge, says Renault.
That takes between six to eight hours from a home socket, or 30 mins on a fast chargepoint. Or swap the dead battery for a fully charged one via the underfloor Quickdrop system.
We were pleasantly surprised by the response and refinement when we drove the rather more spangly concept, which bodes well for the production version.
Renault also boasts it will have the cabin space of a car a class above, which should off-set its likely high price. One way Renault is exploring to lower the cost of the pricey batteries is to lease them separately.
