Renault-Nissan News

[johnr]

With a mere 100 mile range and being a brand that is not sold in the US, I don't see the Renault as a competitor to the model S. Now the Infiniti car may be a serious contender, but of course we'll have to wait and see what its specs end up being. Hope Tesla can get their next car on the road soon enough so they don't get passed by in the industry they helped spawn.

 

[dpeilow]

Well, the Leaf also has "a mere 100 mile range", yet many people have been saying it's a threat to the Model S. At least the Fluence is a saloon/sedan.

There is a whole wide world outside the US. I think the Fluence is a bigger threat to the low end of the Model S range in Europe and Asia than the Leaf is to the Model S in the US, particularly if it gets a good head start.

 

[EVNow]

I'm not sure why Nissan is not offering this car instead of Leaf. This has a much more mainstream appearence. One common complaint I've seen with Leaf is that it is "ugly".

 

[Cobos]

I agree that it would make sense for Nissan to use this as well as the Leaf, but they earlier said they wanted a distinct styling for their EVs and the Fluency is OK to nice but not very distinct.

I agree with Dpeilow that the Fluency might threaten the Model S in Europe. For someone like me that wants a decent sized car with good specs the Fluency is a lot cheaper than the Model S but probably also a bit earlier than the Model S. It's the same way that the Ford Mondeo is eating up BMW 5 series sales. For those that can't really afford a BMW, a Mondeo with decent equipment list might be a good substitute. It's obviously not the same car class really, but it's a good drivers car and more "sensible" pricewise than the BMW.

Cobos

 

[dpeilow]

French government announces plans to order 50,000 electric vehicle, offers incentives to buyers

The French government has committed to purchasing 50,000 electric vehicles for fleet use, way more than we have come to expect. The government has assembled a group of 20 corporations, utility companies and other large fleet owners to purchase all those EVs, most of which will come fomr Renault and Peugeot-Citroen.

 

[vfx]

French government announces plans to order 50,000 electric vehicle, offers incentives to buyers

Hope that spurs similar action here.

 

[dpeilow]

More info on Better place in Denmark - you can't swap the battery if you buy it from Renault

 

[TEG]

http://earth2tech.com/2010/05/12/nissan-in-crisis-mode-banking-on-electric-cars/

 

[dpeilow]

Report: Renault Zoë ZE to be priced at £13,000 in the UK

Sounds interesting. Now let's hope it gets a slightly more normal body shell...

 

[vfx]

Report: Renault Zoë ZE to be priced at £13,000 in the UK... Now let's hope it gets a slightly more normal body shell...

Looks normal to me.

 

[dpeilow]

If your frame of reference for normal was The Fifth Element...

 

[vfx]

If your frame of reference for normal was The Fifth Element...

Blade Runner, actually.

 

[dpeilow]

Blade Runner, actually.

Hmm, this has that certain gallic je ne sais quois. Don't get me wrong, it looked awesome when I saw it in person. Just probably wouldn't want to take it to the shops.

We'll see.

 

[vfx]

Hmm, this has that certain gallic je ne sais quois. Don't get me wrong, it looked awesome when I saw it in person. Just probably wouldn't want to take it to the shops.

We'll see.

No way it will come out like that. Size is cool though.

 

[dpeilow]

Renault Fluence Z.E Driven

4 stars

Price: £19,000 (plus £85 a month for battery)
Powertrain: 95bhp electric motor
Battery: 20kW/h lithium-ion
Torque: 260Nm
0-62mph: 9.0 seconds (est)
Top speed: 84mph
Charge time: 6-8 hours (mains)
Range: 100 miles
CO2: 64g/km (EU electricity mix)
Equipment: Air-con, electric windows, part-leather upholstery, battery monitor, 17-inch alloys
On sale: 2012

the real-world range is only 100 miles – with 
a charge from a household plug taking six-eight hours, long trips are out of the question. But Renault is working hard to establish an infrastructure of high-voltage charging points that should offer 20-minute top-ups and, looking further into the future, instantaneous battery swap stations. With that in place, the Fluence will be a worthy flagship for an electric Renault range that will include the Zoe, Twizy and Kangoo. If it can also deliver on its impressively low target price, it’s certain to be a roaring success.


EVEN though it’s being called a prototype, the Fluence is essentially a finished product – and it’s a very polished package. Performance is strong thanks to the plentiful torque output, and it handles well, although the harsh suspension needs tweaking. A limited range appears to be the only downside – and that won’t put off early adopters attracted by a price that undercuts Nissan’s Leaf by some margin. But for it to be a real success, a nationwide charging infrastructure is needed.

I'm #2 on the list for this car, so hopefully a test drive isn't too far away.

 

[EVNow]

How does this compare to Prius in price ?

Edit : Toyota website says £19,505 onwards.

 

[dpeilow]

From RenaultUK twitter: http://twitter.com/renault_uk

Renault Fluence's price: est £18k plus £70/month battery lease is best yet, says @SteveFowler

Seems like a good deal. You'd need to keep it 7 years for the car and battery lease to add up to the purchase price of a LEAF.

 

[dpeilow]

First Fluence off the production line:

Greetings from Bursa

The very first Fluence Z.E. just came out from the production lines of Bursa’s plant and they’re doing pretty well

Our team worked hard for the production of the vehicle, which requires a very specific technological care. The Fluence Z.E. will actually be the first electric vehicle using the Quick Drop technology. Did you know that the final assemblage of the battery requires a specific adjustment to enable the Quick Drop of the battery in only 3 minutes?

Can you imagine the emotion of Renault’s engineers when they proudly heard the engine – silently – start, the first time for a Fluence Z.E.?

However, these craftsmen of tomorrow’s mobility took some time to take a picture to give you a little souvenir.

 

[doug]

"Quick Drop"

Wonder how many names we're gonna see for that. Swap, Switch, now Drop.

 

[TEG]

Jalopnik on Nissan electric sports car concept:
http://jalopnik.com/#!5755806