| Manufacturer | Renault |
|---|---|
| Production | 2011- |
| Assembly | Bursa, Turkey (Oyak-Renault) Santa Isabel, Argentina Chennai, India Busan, South Korea (Renault Samsung Motors) |
| Class | Compact executive car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel drive |
| Electric motor | 70 kW (94 hp) synchronous motor, 226 N·m (167 ft-lb) |
| Battery | 22 kW·h lithium ion battery |
| Wheelbase | 2,701 mm (106.3 in) |
| Length | 4,748 mm (186.9 in) |
| Width | 1,813 mm (71.4 in) |
| Height | 1,458 mm (57.4 in) |
| Kerb weight | 1,543 kg (3,400 lb) |
The Renault Fluence Z.E. is an upcoming electric version of the Renault Fluence compact executive sedan, part of the Renault Z.E. program of battery electric vehicles. It was unveiled by Renault at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.[1] The Fluence Z.E. will be the first electric car slated to be operational within the Better Place battery switch network.
In April 2010 the carmaker revealed more details of the Fluence Z.E. and began allowing customers to pre-reserve through a dedicated website.[2] The Fluence Z.E is outfitted with a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery which allows a total all-electric range of 160 km (99 mi) measured on the NEDC combined cycle, with speeds up to 135 km/h (84 mph).[3] Sales are scheduled to begin in Israel and Denmark by late 2011.[4][5]
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The lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 22 kW·h and weighs 250 kg (551 lb). The Fluence Z.E. is 13 cm (5.1 in) longer than the internal combustion model to accommodate the battery behind the rear seats.[3][6] The planned Renault battery plant near Paris that will supply batteries for the vehicle was delayed due to technical constraints. Construction will start in the second quarter of 2012 and production of batteries is expected to be delayed to 2014 or 2015. Instead, Renault will have to buy batteries from a joint venture between Nissan Motor and NEC, and from LG Chem of South Korea.[7]
There are several ways to charge the battery:
The Fluence Z.E. uses a synchronous electric motor with rotor coil, weighing 160 kg (350 lb). Its peak power is 70 kW (94 hp) at 11,000rpm, while maximum torque is 226 N·m (167 ft·lbf).[3][6]
The Fluences uses a PRND gate selector as well as providing a small amount of creep in 'D' to emulate the behaviour of traditional internal combustion engine equipped self-shifters.
| Euro NCAP test results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Renault Fluence ZE (2011)[9] | ||
| Test | Points | % |
| Overall: | ||
| Adult occupant: | 26 | 72% |
| Child occupant: | 41 | 83% |
| Pedestrian: | 13 | 37% |
| Safety assist: | 6 | 84% |
Better Place and Renault announced the Fluence Z.E. will be the first modern electric car with a swappable battery available on the Better Place electric vehicle network [10] with (QuickDrop) battery swapping technology. Battery switching or swapping is a technology that enables the driver to swap a depleted battery with a fully charged one by going through a battery switch station. In a demonstration with electric taxi cabs run in Tokyo until the end of 2010, the trial battery switch station allowed drivers to exchange their car's depleted battery pack for a 100 miles (160 km) fully recharged one in 59.1 seconds on average.[11] In August 2010 Better Place announced a non-binding order of 100,000 Renault Fluence ZE[12] and four months later Better Place claimed to have sold 70,000 cars from that order, a year away from the public launch of the Better Place network.[13]
In order to access the battery switch station, Better Place customers will have to swipe their membership card, which authenticates the car and subscription via the Operations Center, to activate the battery switch. The remaining process is fully automated, similar to going through a car wash, so the driver never has to leave the car. In just a few minutes, a robotic arm removes the depleted battery and replaces it with a full one and the driver is back on the road.[14]
Renault Fluence Z.E. is expected to sell in certain countries at prices similar to those of comparably powerful diesel versions of Renault Fluence with the same equipment level.[15]
Unveiled at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne, the Fluence Z.E. be sold from the middle of 2012, once the roll out of Better Place's battery swap network had begun, initiating in Canberra. GE Australia & New Zealand has already pledged to purchase at least 1000 of the vehicles in Australia, which will contribute to their goal of purchasing 25,000 electric vehicles globally by 2015.[16]
The Fluence Z.E. will be sold in Denmark at a price of 205,000 DKK (€27,496 or US$38,378) including VAT plus the monthly fee for the switchable-battery. Consumers will also pay a one-time fee of 9,995 DKK (€1,341) for a private charging station and there will be offered a choice of five fixed-price switchable-battery packages based on kilometers driven per year. For more than 40,000 km (25,000 mi) a year the monthly fee is 2,995 DKK (€399) per month.[5][17]
The first battery switch station in Denmark, out of 20 planned to be deployed across the country until March 2012, was unveiled in June 2011 at Gladsaxe, near Copenhagen.[14]
In Estonia, Fluence Z.E is part of the ELMO program. [18]
In France prices will start from €26,300 before the applicable €5,000 government incentive that is available for purchases through 2012.[15][19] The monthly fee for the switchable-battery service will start from €79 including VAT.[15]
Orders for the Renault Fluence ZE will begin in July 2011 starting at NIS 123,000 (€24.580, US$35,114), a price slightly higher than gasoline-powered car of similar size. Deliveries are scheduled for late 2011. Better Place will offer five service packages in Israel. The service plans are priced according to annual mileage and also include installation and maintenance of a home recharging station, free access to Better Place’s battery replacement stations, battery availability, a computerized driver support system, navigation aids, and roadside service. The cheapest monthly package is NIS 1,090 (€218, US$311) for up to 20,000 km (12,000 mi) a year, and the more expensive is NIS 1,599 (€ 320 /US$456) for less than 30,000 km (19,000 mi) a year. These prices include VAT. There is also a special plan that includes the cost of the Fluence Z.E. and a 3-year unlimited-mileage package for a total of NIS 157,500 (€31,775, US$45,000).[20][21]
The Fluence Z.E. will be released in the United Kingdom in Autumn of 2012. The entry level "Prime Time" trim model will sell without batteries for GB£17,850 (US$28,576), including the GB£5,000 (US$8,005) plug-in car grant. Batteries will lease for GB£75 (US$120) per month and according to Renault, it will be the UK's most affordable electric car.[22]
Renault Fluence Z.E will be released in Turkey at the end of 2011. The first users will be major municipalities and some other governmental instutions such as Ministry of Industry. Public release is expected to take place on May 2012. All the dealers are recently under infrastructure upgrade that is being held by energy partners of Renault in Turkey [23]
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