Renault unveiled four electric concept cars at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show with a promise to make them widely available to motorists. Since then, Renault has publicised each milestone in this ambitious and unique project, securing the backing of governments, signing partnership agreements and testing battery safety.
Renault has focused on training its network sales staff, technicians and repairers with the aim of offering customers seamless service. Electric vehicles were first tested in The Sims virtual community before being put through real world trials involving more than 400 EVs and a panel of users.
To date, Renault has delivered more than 37,000 electric cars worldwide. Renault is demonstrating its drive for innovation, clearly investing in a future with mankind at its core. Electric cars are no longer a dream out of reach for many, but a reality accessible to all.
Electric vehicles are the flagships of Renault’s position, which is centred squarely on the availability of a range of more ecologically-aware and readily affordable products and services. In its ‘Renault 2016 – Drive the Change’ plan, the Renault group committed to reducing its global carbon footprint by 20 per cent. It is achieving this by introducing new technologies for internal combustion engines and transmissions, and making an unprecedented commitment to all-electric vehicles.
Renault estimates that electric vehicles will account for 10 per cent of the world market by 2020 and aims to be a key player in this new form of mobility with more than one million Renault electric vehicles on the roads by 2016.
Renault is the first volume automobile manufacturer to offer a comprehensive range of all-electric vehicles in 2012: Fluence ZE, Kangoo ZE, Twizy and ZOE, with the last two models designed as EVs from the ground up.
Twizy is an unprecedented urban mobility solution for city motoring. Its nimble handling prompts parallels with scooters and motorbikes, yet the standard of safety and comfort it delivers is close to that of a four-wheeled vehicle.
ZOE is a compact saloon that ensures everyday well-being. A true mass-market vehicle, ZOE is poised to become the flagship of Renault’s innovation for all drive and concern for the environment, as well as being an ambassador for the brand’s new design strategy.
Kangoo ZE is suitable for a multitude of jobs. Kangoo has all the comfort of a car combined with the versatility of a van. Its spacious 650kg loading area ensures Kangoo is prepared for most things.
The best-selling Fluence has been adapted as a ZE vehicle. It combines all the safety, comfort, space and security of the Fluence plus the sound of silence and no CO2 emissions.
For 114 years, Renault has been committed to offer sustainable mobility for all. Renault is at the forefront of this exciting new era and is determined to drive this historic change. The entire ZE range will be launched in Malta in summer 2014.