Frankfurt Motor Show: Renault Fluence, Kangoo, Zoe and Twizy electric cars

Renault unveils a range of electric cars aimed at several segments. Fluence, a four-door saloon; Kangoo, a small delivery van; Zoe, a city car and the Twizy, a two-seater.


By Paul Horrell
Renault unveiled a whole battery of electric cars (c’mon, someone had to say it.) And the level of commitment to the electric vehicle is probably greater at Renault and its Japanese alliance partner Nissan than at any other car company worldwide.

The alliance is building a plant in Sunderland to build lithium-ion batteries, and establishing partnerships with electricity companies to provide recharging points in several countries and areas, including the north-east of England.
The first electric Renault, on sale in 2011, will be a four-door saloon called the Fluence ZE. It incorporates a startling development: swappable batteries.

You drive into a 'Quickdrop’ station - it resembles a dry carwash - and, without you getting out of your car, wait just three minutes for a mechanical arm to remove the entire battery pack from under your car and replace it with a fully charged one.

The system will be adopted first in Israel and in a fleet of Paris taxis.

This highlights Renault’s business model for all its battery cars. You will buy the car, but merely have an 'energy subscription’ which entitles you to leased batteries and the electricity.

Renault reckons the cost of the car and the energy sub will approximate to that of a diesel car and your monthly fuel bill.

Renault also showed three more electric vehicles. Its electric delivery van, the Kangoo ZE also arrives in 2011, and for 2012 it will have a small ultra-cute city coupe, the Zoe ZE. Finally, a tiny tandem two-seat four-wheeled electric enclosed scooter called Twizy ZE.