The R240 motor extends ZOE’s range, while the Cargo version of the Twizy facilitates city deliveries

A pioneer of the affordable all-electric vehicle, Groupe Renault is the only manufacturer to offer a comprehensive range of electric cars, which it has just extended with two new innovations.

Courtesy of the R240 motor, customers who use the ZOE for everyday motoring will benefit from improved range. Combined with a battery featuring an electronic management system, the R240 motor increases the ZOE’s range by 30 kilometres to 240 kilometres (NEDC). It also cuts the car’s charging times by an average 10% at public charging stations, thanks to the upgraded Caméléon charger.

The Twizy Cargo is the version of the Twizy designed for transporting goods. Its rear seat has been replaced by a waterproof boot with a 180-litre load-carrying capacity, accessible via a rear door. Just as compact as the Twizy, the Twizy Cargo is the ideal solution for city delivery or rapid intervention companies. It is fully customisable with decals to advertise your business, and cost-effective to use.

The new R240 motor extends ZOE’s range

The ZOE’s new R240 motor is combined with a battery featuring an optimised electronic management system to offer a longer driving range and improved charging performance. Unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the R240 motor went on sale on in the spring (dates varied depending on the country).

More than 25,000 ZOE models are currently on the roads in some 20 countries.

30 kilometres(1) of extra range and 10% faster charging times(2)

The R240 motor’s range, unmatched in the segment, is 240 kilometres (NEDC) – that’s 30 kilometres more than the Q210 motor.

Renault’s engineers improved the motor’s efficiency by optimising its electronic management system.
Improved efficiency helps to cut the ZOE’s electric energy consumption when in use, while delivering the same level of performance. A motor which consumes less energy provides a longer driving range.

Courtesy of the R240 motor, the ZOE’s charging times have been cut by 10% on average compared with the Q210 motor for everyday driving situations.

Renault’s engineers have also upgraded the Caméléon(3) charger in order to shorten charging times at low power levels and increase the ZOE’s range. For each minute the battery is charged, users get extra kilometres of range.

The ZOE’s new motor helps meet a wider range of needs.

The release of the R240 motor underpins Renault’s policy to bring electric motoring to as many people as possible. The motor’s 240-kilometre range (NEDC) ensures greater flexibility for customers who use their ZOE for everyday driving situations. The upgraded Caméléon charger, which is available with the R240 motor, is particularly effective when connected to 3 to 22kW charging points, which make up more than 95% of the charging infrastructure currently installed.
In addition, the Q210 motor will remain on sale in the Renault network, so the ZOE can be charged at 43kW fast charging points, particularly by customers who use motorway corridors.

(1) NEDC. (2) At low power levels. (3) The CaméléonTM charger patented by Renault adapts to the different power levels available at charging points. It is also compatible with all public charging stations.

High-tech, 100% Renault design

The R240, a motor designed and manufactured by Renault, in France.

The R240 motor was designed and developed by Renault’s engineers at the company’s Technocentre southwest of Paris and at the Cléon plant west of Paris, where it is manufactured. This plant is located near Renault’s Flins plant, where the ZOE is built.
(The ZOE was previously available with only one motor, the Q210, built by a supplier in Spain.)

Renault has filed for 95 patents for the motor’s innovative design.

The R240 motor is a synchronous electric motor with rotor coil. It features a power output of 65kW, torque of 220Nm and a built-in Caméléon charger. The R240 motor boasts improved range and charging performance thanks to the optimised electronic management of each component, and its size has been reduced. Renault filed for 95 patents for the motor’s innovative design and architecture.

Renault’s engineers succeeded in cutting the motor’s size by 10% without sacrificing performance.

Although the R240 motor is more compact than the Q210, it boasts the same level of performance (power, torque, etc.) thanks to the engineers’ focus on three main areas:

– Integration: modules are no longer stacked, having been replaced by fully integrated modules.

– Downsizing: smaller modules have been designed and assembled to meet precise requirements (gaps reduced between modules, external power cables removed).

– Simplification: an air cooling system is now used for the assembly (ducts between modules have been removed).

The junction box, the power electronics unit and the Caméléon charger are now in a single unit called the Power Electronic Controller. The unit is 25% smaller.

The R240 underscores Renault’s expertise as an engine and electric motor manufacturer.

To design, develop and manufacture this high-tech motor, Renault Groupe has drawn on its expertise in the development of both internal combustion engines and electric vehicles.
Renault is involved in in the FIA Formula E Championship. Because of its electric vehicle expertise, the Group was chosen as a technical partner to the series. Renault tests EV technology in racing with a view to continually improving the performance of road-going EVs.

Renault’s Cléon plant is a flagship production facility specialising in high value-added engines and gearboxes (Energy engines, Renault Sport engines, etc.). For the past two years, it has been manufacturing the ZOE’s junction box, which was developed by the Technocentre’s engineering centre. The Cléon plant has built on its vast experience to produce the R240 motor’s Power Electronic Controller. The plant has also gained expertise
in coil technology, thanks to upskilling developed within the Alliance.

Source: Renault Media

• TAG Farnborough Airport takes delivery of three 100% electric Renault ZOEs
• Cars will be used as airside staff shuttles
• ZOE will help the airport meet its sustainability and carbon footprint targets

Europe’s leading business aviation airport has taken delivery of a fleet of three 100 percent electric Renaults ZOEs as part of its ongoing strategy to reduce its carbon footprint.

TAG Farnborough Airport – the only dedicated business aviation airport in the UK receives thousands of business jets every year – is using the vehicles to shuttle staff between buildings, including the main control tower.

The vehicles make a contribution to the airport’s continued efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and meet the goals set out in its sustainability charter, which covers everything from waste management and energy usage to vehicle emissions.

The ZOE – rated the best electric vehicle to own in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey and back-to-back winner of What Car? Magazine’s ‘Best Electric Car Under £20,000’ award –offers true zero emissions transport with no tailpipe emissions, in addition to ultra low running costs.

Miles Thomas, Environment Manager at TAG Farnborough Airport, said

“We monitor our carbon footprint very closely across all our services and departments, and being able to reduce the environmental impact of the staff vehicle movements across the airport was a driving factor for us.

“We looked at all the electric vehicles on the market but only the ZOE ticked all our boxes. The car offers the low running costs and zero emissions and it’s also small, functional, simple and enjoyable to drive and has an impressive range.”

He added: “The reaction of our staff to the three ZOEs has been fantastic and very positive. People are enjoying driving them and we’ll definitely be looking to add more EVs to our fleet as a result.”

Ben Fletcher, Renault UK Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said:

“Every day more and more fleet operators are discovering the benefits of Renault electric vehicles.

“The ZOE is a practical, spacious and well-equipped family car but its innovative electric technology means it can offer incredible savings in running costs and whole life costs as well as making a real impact on a business’ carbon footprint.

“Drivers love them too, as evidenced by the ZOE’s performance in the Auto Express Driver Power Survey 2015, and that makes the model a win-win for fleet operators and families,” added Fletcher.

A spacious five-door family hatchback, the ZOE can cover up to 130 miles on a single charge according to official New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) figures.

A new longer-range version of ZOE, with a new Renault-developed motor, was announced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show which will bring a best-in-class official range of 149 miles when it joins the ZOE line-up this summer.

The ZOE can be charged in as little as 30 minutes using a fast charger, available in hundreds of locations across the UK, but retail customers can also have a 7kW wall-mounted charger – capable of fully charging the ZOE in three to four hours – fitted free of charge at their home. Renault is the only manufacturer to offer this service.

Available in three distinct trim levels, all ZOEs feature generous levels of standard specification and innovative technologies, including smartphone-controllable climate control and satellite navigation, and all the creature comforts the modern driver demands.

Prices start from just £13,443 RRP (including Government Plug-In Car Grant) when opting for the flexibility of battery leasing and £18,443 RRP (including PiCG) for those purchasing outright.

Renault is one of the global leaders in electric vehicle technology and is the only manufacturer with three 100% electric vehicles in its range – the Twizy urban vehicle, ZOE hatchback and Kangoo Z.E Van.

Sales in the UK of Renault’s electric models were up 90 per cent in 2014 to 1,286 vehicles and continued this strong growth in the first three months of 2015 with sales up 148 per cent to 401 vehicles.

Source: Renault Press Office

Steve Cropley has fun racing a Renault ZOE, from AutoCar

SUNDAY AM – Can driving be brilliant and terrible at once? It certainly can, and here’s an example. Headed off to Prescott to run an electric Renault Zoe in the annual hillclimb for French marques, La Vie en Bleu.

Plan was to compete on my own for a bit of fun, but some club type decided I should drive with Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams, one of the country’s most versatile and experienced racing drivers. If ever there were a recipe for humiliation, this was it.

Renault found a set of super-sticky Yokos, and the car felt instantly quick off the line, especially for something with a 12.3sec 0-60mph time.

Most importantly, it gripped, steered and turned really well, even during a late-morning downpour.

Whizzo was fast, of course, finding time to make ‘hush’ signs to the marshals as he noiselessly sped by. He soon turned 60.29sec, easily beating his previous electric record (in a Zoe). I soldiered on, eventually managing 61.88sec – slow but not entirely beyond the pale.

SUNDAY PM – Prescott is less blokeish than most race tracks, but it was still surprising just how interested people were in our Zoe, especially women.

They liked the styling and the interior but, funnily enough, they also liked the way it zipped uphill, which they felt matched its cheeky persona.

Found myself slipping into sales patter: “People pay £100k for cars with very little noise and vibration – and here’s one with none of either, small enough to park, for £15k.” Might even have sold a couple of the little things.

Last year I asked if 2014 was the year to buy an electric car. Despite some reservations about cost and range, we did finally take the plunge in November and bought ourselves a lovely little Renault Zoe.

We have absolutely loved the car and found it perfect for our daily use. We actually kept our diesel car for three months in case we needed to make a long journey, but it didn’t happen. So we sold the other car and haven’t needed it since, but the one thing that was bothering me was the idea that we could no longer drive to mainland Europe on holiday, which we absolutely love doing.

Driven by this inner frustration, something snapped in my brain recently and I convinced myself that we could drive to Ghent in Belgium, one of our favourite cities. I had seen a post on the website My Renault Zoe about Surya, who drove from Belgium to the UK in a Zoe, so I thought it must be possible the other way.

Planning our first long distance electric journey

A bit of research showed me that there are a lot of charge points in Belgium, especially Type 2 Mennekes chargers that the Renault Zoe uses.  The question then was whether we could actually use the chargers and whether they were located conveniently for our route.

A bit like the UK, I found that Belgium has several charging networks that each have their own membership schemes. However, I found a Dutch network called The New Motion that has partnerships with many of these networks and whose members can therefore charge throughout Holland, Belgium, Germany and beyond. I phoned them up to ask about membership and they told me that I could not get a membership card because I would need a Dutch or German bank account to register on my account. However, they suggested contacting Charge Your Car in the UK.

I didn’t have a Charge Your Car (CYC) membership card but when I went on their website I saw that their latest news article was announcing their two way partnership with The New Motion. I emailed them to ask if this was already in action and they confirmed, so I applied for the membership card.

This should have been enough, but to be honest I was really getting worried that our car would be stranded in Belgium if the CYC card didn’t work, especially because The New Motion is a Dutch network and so by going to Belgium we would be using chargers operated by partners of a partner of CYC. I needed a backup plan!

First, I asked our friend Dan if we could borrow his Granny cable, which he kindly agreed to. This should mean that we could charge from a regular wall socket in a worst case scenario, so long as the Granny cable worked with a European plug adapter fitted.  Secondly, I found a German network called PlugSurfing that also covers much of Belgium, and would hopefully work as a fall back if the CYC card didn’t work.  I also made a long list of chargers near our route in case any were out of action, including Renault dealers in western Belgium that have charge points. If all else fails, surely Renault can charge us up!

The journey to Belgium

We headed towards Dover and charged up at the Ecotricity point at the service station in Maidstone. However, it is 34 miles from Dover and I wanted to have as much range as possible when we got off the other side in Dunkerque. We therefore made what was supposed to be a quick stop in Ashford to use the 22kW charger in the Vicarage Lane car park. The charger worked perfectly and we were back to 99% in 20 minutes, but finding the car park took us ages!! Let’s just say that Ashford’s town planners are very creative!

Read more: Live Wholesome

The Renault Cléon plant will create 100 jobs with open-ended contracts in 2015 as part of a plan announced by Carlos Ghosn on February 12. The plan involves the hiring of 1,000 people in 2015, including 500 in French plants.

More than 50 years after it was built in 1958, the Cléon plant is taking on the production of the all-Renault electric engine, the R 240. Combined with optimised battery management, this engine extends the ZOE’s range to 240 kilometres[1] – a boost of 30 kilometres.

To enable the launch, €50 million were invested from the €300 million earmarked for the plant in 2011. This new technology is part of the Alliance’s electric strategy and will also benefit Renault partners.

100 jobs created

By creating 100 new jobs, the Cléon plant is reinforcing its skills to meet high commercial demand from the Alliance partners. These permanent positions will go to candidates in a range of occupational categories and having varied qualification levels, from vocational training certificates to two-year post-baccalauréat diplomas.

This job creation program follows a training plan developed in 2012, which features approximately 6,000 hours of training in preparation for the production of the R 240. The plan includes general theoretical training on the electric engine for all players involved in the project as well as technical training on the machines, in cooperation with the suppliers, for operators and maintenance staff.

Renault’s acquired electrotechnical expertise serving the alliance

Cléon has been leveraging its experience for a little more than two years with the production of the ZOE Junction Box, the system developed by Renault Technocentre engineers that manages the car’s energy transfers. The Cléon plant has mastered the assembly of electronic modules and gained invaluable experience for the production of the powerful R 240 electric engine. This expertise has made it possible to extend the ZOE’s range to 240 kilometres[1] – a boost of 30 kilometres – and will also benefit Alliance partners.

For the comparable common components of Renault and Nissan engines, the engineering and operating teams drew inspiration from Nissan’s experience in producing the LEAF engine. Cléon also gained from the expertise of local businesses that manufacture electric engines for other purposes.

Recognised industrial activity

The engines and gearboxes produced at the Cléon plant have been a true success which, in the first quarter of 2015, translated into an overall increase in activity and proportionally more business from partners (Nissan, Dacia, Samsung, Daimler, General Motors). These partners accounted for 43% of the plant’s engine and gearbox production in Q1 2015 compared to 37% at end-2014.

In addition to this burst in activity to meet high demand from Renault, Nissan and Daimler, the Cléon plant is also gearing up for several launches. The plant, which already supplies engines and gearboxes for the Trafic, recently delivered the first engines for the Opel version of the van. New vehicles in the Renault range such as the Espace and the Kadjar also benefit from powertrain components produced at Cléon. And the ZOE already features the Alliance’s brand new electric engine, the R 240. These recent and upcoming launches should help increase the site’s manufacturing volumes.

“This is fantastic news for the Cléon plant. These new hires will reinforce Renault’s skills in terms of designing and manufacturing electric vehicles. This activity in France, at the heart of the European market, is part of the Alliance’s electric strategy and will benefit its partners as well.” Stefan MUELLER, Executive Vice-President, Chairman of the Europe Region

Source: Renault Media

A zero-emissions Renault Zoe gave David Williams’ twins a taste of the future of driving, providing a very different approach to the way we drive

Lurching down the road in a series of kangaroo hops after each change of gear as you teach your son or daughter how to drive could soon be a thing of the past as the calm, quiet, more mature nature of the electric car promises to usher in a new generation of learners with a very different approach to the way we drive.

I’ve put my daughter and son into the driving seat to find out. With a melodic but barely audible sci-fi-style hum, of which Trekkies would surely approve, we inch slowly away from the kerb and glide ethereally towards a row of cones set out in the car park.

There’s no crashing of gears, no angrily revving engine and little stress. Anna beams as the sleek all-electric Renault Zoe quietly picks up speed and she deftly push-pulls the steering wheel to negotiate the first bend. It almost seems too easy.

As I sit in the back to watch my 15-year-old twins’ first “proper” driving lesson at Bluewater’s Young Driver facility in Kent, it seems a million miles away from my first attempts to co-ordinate juddering clutch, throttle, non-synchromesh gearbox and (yes, let us admit it) semaphore-arm indicators on my parents’ ageing, polluting Morris Minor Estate, some 35 years earlier. Even Gary Webber, the driving instructor whose familiarity with this special practice circuit is finely honed thanks to many hours teaching budding learners aged 11-17, is impressed with the calm, fuss-free zero-emission Zoe.

“Amazing – the loudest thing you can hear is the indicators,” he says, scarcely disguising his astonishment as he helps Anna insert the smartcard into the dashboard and press the Start button to “fire” up the car. Instead of the staccato bark of exhaust pipe, rattle of cam chain, puff of emissions and vibrations through the steering wheel, there’s a gentle synthesised “bong” and a cheerful “ready” message lights up in the space-age instrument panel.

“You certainly won’t be able to stall it,” adds Gary. “There’s no clutch and as it’s automatic, there’s no gear-changing to worry about, either.”

We’ve joined Gary at the Admiral Young Driver arena in Bluewater to see what it’s like to learn to drive in an electric car, and it’s a great location to grapple with the basics of getting behind the wheel — and while they still have to master manual gear changes and the like, a wealth of new technology, such as sensors and cameras, makes learning to drive easier.

The rest of the year, the instructors have made it more challenging, using hundreds of cones to represent lay-bys, cul-de-sacs, vehicles, traffic lights and buildings. Normally, there’d be six other cars on the circuit, as youngsters get a taste of motorised freedom, accompanied by a fully qualified ADI driving instructor – and with the benefit of dual- control cars.

Today, for our electric Renault Zoe acid test, we have the place to ourselves and Joseph and Anna are loving every moment. Even Gary seems relaxed about the lack of a spare brake pedal on the Zoe – for emergencies.

As Anna tackles her first roundabout, crossroads and T-junction, the Zoe is fully charged; we know this as it was topped up overnight at an electric socket; the dashboard readout tells us we have enough amps stored in the batteries to cover 78 fume- free miles for around £1.50. We won’t need them, but it’s comforting to know there are two charging cables in the boot – one for public charging points or dedicated home chargers (which will fully charge in four hours), the other for three-pin domestic electric points, which charge the car up overnight.

After Anna has negotiated the fake but sunny town centre for 45 minutes – grinning as she improves her steering technique, impressing Gary with her reversing – it’s Joe’s turn, and the readout now tells us we still have 76 miles of motoring time left. That is enough to get us to the seaside at Margate if we wished.

Joe – who has spent hours observing the finer points of car control from the Stig on Top Gear – is perfectly happy on our closed circuit. He has a heavier right foot and whizzes away, quickly acclimatising to the Zoe’s smooth power delivery, light powered steering and deft handling.

When he’s asked to park parallel to a kerb and reverse in a straight line for about 50 feet, he swiftly spots the high- tech reversing camera and demonstrates his prowess with brake and throttle, as well as the electrically controlled door mirrors. That’s the computer generation for you.

“It’s really good fun. Much smoother than the diesel car we tried earlier,” says Joe. “There’s less to think about as it’s an automatic so it’s perfect to learn in. You just put it into gear and go; it seems to put you in a really calm mindset.”

Anna adds:

“It’s less scary than the manual diesel car we tried earlier, even though it accelerates fast. I like the fact that it’s quieter and, because you just have to slide the automatic gear lever into Drive, it’s simpler.”

It’s all good fun, but there’s a serious point, too. Stacked in the Young Driver bus, where they dole out drinks and Drive Diaries to the novices who turn up are leaflets outlining what novices should expect. It asks: “Why do we encourage 11 to 17-year-olds to drive?”

“Being taught to drive away from the road, at a younger age, is a big benefit,” says Gary. “It means they hit the ground running when they start lessons on the road. It gives them a valuable advantage.”

With sales of electric cars up by more than 300 per cent in the first five months of this year and manufacturers bringing more and more models to market, from city runarounds and family hatchbacks to 4x4s and sports cars, surely the cleaner, greener future of driving is gliding smoothly and securely into place.

Source: The Telegraph

After six months and almost five thousand miles, our ZOE has gone back to Renault. But, in that time, it’s answered the question I’ve been asked so many times since it was delivered: what’s it really like living with an electric vehicle?

It’s much easier than you’d expect. We usually carry hundreds of miles of unnecessary fuel in a conventional car, but the ZOE shows a typical range of between 80 and 100 miles is quite generous. It’s enough to comfortably get from my house in Cardiff to Bristol and back, and the electricity costs less than half the price of the Severn Bridge toll. At each end, I can plug in while I do other things.

Of course, long trips take planning. The range drops to around 75 miles on the motorway, not helped by my impatience at the Eco mode’s 60mph speed limiter. At a steady 70mph, with the blowers on but air conditioning off, it comfortably gets between Ecotricity’s Electric Highway network on an 80% charge, reached in 20 minutes. Range anxiety is usually down to bad planning.

It’s hard not to love the technology, too. R-Link is fiddly at first but easy to get used to, setting cabin temperatures from your bed is a useful feature, and the Chameleon Charger means it takes the fastest charging speeds from whatever you can plug it into. Domestic sockets are the painfully slow exception, though, and the three-pin cable is really only a backup.

The more you live with it, the more it becomes a normal car. It’s stylish, comfortable, has a generous boot, folding seats and ISOFIX points in the back, plus the refinement is blissful. For mostly urban driving and occasional motorway trips, do you really need a plug-in hybrid?

Source: EV Fleet World