Category Archives: Kangoo Z.E.

The Renault ZOE will benefit from a 35% discount from 1st April 2015

Renault ZOE rated best EV in Auto Express Driver Power 2015

  • ZOE debuts in owner survey in 5th place overall
  • ZOE rated 1st for running costs of all 200 entrants
  • Ease of driving commended with 2nd place overall finish
  • ZOE rated best EV – five places ahead of nearest electric rival

The 100% electric Renault ZOE supermini has been highly commended by owners in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey out today finishing an impressive fifth overall out of 200 vehicles and rated as the best electric vehicle to own.

Finishing five places above its nearest all-electric competitor, with a score of 92.87 per cent, the ZOE was also rated the best vehicle in this year’s survey for low running costs as well as second overall for ease of driving. ZOE, in its debut survey year, was ranked second, out of 43 vehicles, in the competitive supermini category.

The ZOE also scored well for In-car technology and performance with owners rating the car ninth and fifteenth respectively out of the 200 entrants.

Commenting on the ZOE’s performance in the survey, Ben Fletcher, Renault UK Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said:

“The Renault ZOE offers the recognized benefits of all-electric vehicles in an ultra-stylish and highly-affordable package. It’s no wonder that owners are so delighted with their cars.”

Steve Fowler, Auto Express Editor-in-chief said:

“Breaking into the Driver Power top five is a significant achievement for the Renault ZOE. Owners of electric cars clearly love their vehicles – and the ZOE, in particular, has a winning formula of low running costs and decent performance, plus it’s very easy to drive, too.”

The Auto Express Driver Power survey had its largest response ever in 2015 with 61,113 car owners, up 20 per cent on 2014, completing the comprehensive survey about their vehicle ownership experience.

The Renault ZOE has won numerous awards since going on sale in 2013 including being named What Car? Magazine’s ‘Best Electric Car for under £20,000’ for the last two consecutive years.

ZOE is one of three all-electric Renault models including the innovative Twizy urban vehicle and the Kangoo Z.E. Van. ZOE can be purchased in two ways, either outright, from £18,443, or from £13,443 with a battery lease from £25 per month (including the Government Plug-In Car Grant) and can charge its batteries in as little as 30 minutes.

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 in May.

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 Group UK Press Office

E-Car Club launches in Scotland

The University of St Andrews, together with Transport Scotland and E-Car Club have launched Scotland’s largest all electric, community car club.

St Andrews now has a fleet of 10 electric vehicles (8x Renault ZOE hatchbacks and 2x Renault Kangoo vans) which residents, businesses and visitors can hire by the hour; making the it Scotland’s most densely populated EV town.

The launch, hosted in the town’s central Church Square, gave residents and visitors the opportunity to meet with representatives from E-Car Club, the University of St Andrews, Renault and Carplus.

The E-Car Club represents a positive step in reducing the towns’ emissions from transport and towards the University of St Andrews’ goal of becoming the UK’s first carbon-neutral university.

For as little as an hour, or for several days, members can collect zero-emission vehicles from three locations; Agnes Blackadder Halls, The Gateway at North Haugh, and David Russell Apartments.

E-Car Club members will pay a £50 one-off joining fee for access to the scheme (£25 until 31 July) — with rental prices starting at £4.50 per hour or £35 per day (24 hours), including power and insurance.

Members will be supplied with a membership card and pin number which they can use to book the vehicles; either online or by phone. Once the vehicle is booked, the membership card can be swiped on the windscreen-mounted reader to unlock the vehicle.

The cars can generally travel around 65-90 miles on a single charge; putting Dundee and Edinburgh within easy reach, with their fantastic infrastructure of rapid charging units making even longer journeys an option.

Scottish Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay said:

“It is really exciting to see the nation’s first all EV car club launch in St Andrews, funded in part by the £1 million announced last summer for EVs in car clubs through the ‘Developing Car Clubs in Scotland’ programme.

“The Scottish Government is committed to achieving the target of almost total decarbonisation of road transport by 2050 because of the numerous benefits this will bring.”

Chris Morris, Managing Director of E-Car Club said:

“I’m delighted to be able to officially announce the launch of E-Car Club in St Andrews. This is particularly significant to us as our first scheme in Scotland – once home to many of the E-Car team including myself – and our largest single deployment of vehicles to date.”

Source: Next Green Car

British Gas has a fleet of 100 e-NV200s

Plug-in van grant extended

British businesses will be able to continue saving money and cutting their carbon footprint as the government announced that the ultra-low emission plug-in van grant will be extended.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer confirmed that the grant, which launched in 2012 and provides purchasers with a 20% discount off the upfront cost worth up to £8,000, would be extended to meet continued demand.

British Gas has a fleet of 100 e-NV200s
British Gas has a fleet of 100 e-NV200s

In addition to lower running costs, the scheme also allows businesses that purchase the vans to take advantage of a range of tax incentives, including zero vehicle excise duty and no congestion charges in London.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said:

“Ultra-low emission vans are cheaper to run and with a variety of models now eligible for the grant, there has never been a better time for business to take advantage and start saving money. The government is supporting UK companies that are leading the way on cleaner and greener transport.”

Since 2012 the initiative has supported over 1,250 vans, with vehicle running costs potentially as low as 2 pence per mile. Gnewt Cargo is one company which has benefited from the plug-in van grant and it now has the largest 100% commercial electric fleet in the UK.

Co-founder and CEO Sam Clarke, said:

“As a business we have grown significantly over the last few years in London and are expanding nationally in 2015. Our fleet of over 100 plug-in vans are economical to run and also help improve air quality in the capital.

“The plug-in van grant is a great way to encourage other fleets to take this same step. We are therefore delighted to hear that support for electric commercial fleets is set to continue.”

Source: Newspress

Renault Kangoo Z.E. with Symbio FCell’s hydrogen fuel cell range-extender

Symbio FCell Delivers First 5 Hydrogen Renault Kangoo Z.E.s

French company Symbio FCell delivered the first 5 out of 40 Renault Kangoo Z.E.s with hydrogen fuel cell range-extenders.

The electric vans are equipped with an ALP10 5 kW FC stack, which support batteries (at a certain level of discharge) to double the range.

Renault Kangoo Z.E. with Symbio FCell’s hydrogen fuel cell range-extender
Renault Kangoo Z.E. with Symbio FCell’s hydrogen fuel cell range-extender

The 1.8 kg hydrogen tank is good for up to 100 miles according to the press release, although we don’t know how much these modifications cost.

“In a major step towards the commercial deployment of zero-emission hydrogen-powered electric vehicles, Symbio FCell has put on the road the first five Renault Kangoo ZE Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) powered by its hydrogen Fuel Cell Range-Extender, as part of a full fleet project led by the Conseil Général de la Manche which will rapidly deploy 40 vehicles. This project demonstrates the effectiveness of hydrogen power but also the reliability of Symbio FCell’s as the world-leading provider hydrogen fuel cell Range-Extender.

“La Manche indeed counts amongst the first departments in France to own a hydrogen filling station (active in Saint Lo) and five plug-in hybrid battery fuel cell light vehicles. Furthermore, it has an important potential for low-carbon electricity production, based on marine renewable energies (hydrokinetic and offshore wind) and nuclear.

“The Conseil Général de la Manche aims to put on the road a total of forty hydrogen-powered Renault Kangoo ZE utility vehicles equiped with the Symbio FCell Range-Extender. This technology recharges the battery when it drops below a certain level and permits the vehicle to be refueled with 1.8kg of hydrogen, 1kg of which powers a distance of over 100km; the range-extender therefore almost doubles the daily range of battery powered vehicles, a significant improvement that makes hydrogen-powered electric vehicles more competitive in the automotive markets.”

Symbio FCell offers hydrogen fuel cell stacks from 5 kW to 300 kW.

Fabio Ferrari, CEO of Symbio FCell stated:

“The ‘Range-Extender’ increases both driving range and availability of Electric vehicles for commercial usage, while reducing the investment in battery recharging infrastructure for large fleet. Closer to a traditional ICE vehicle, this ensures seamless operations for professional intensive urban usages as demonstrated in previous experimentations such as La Poste.”

Source: Inside EVs

Environment officers show off new electric van

A new electric van has been bought for use by Environmental Health Officers at Daventry District Council as part of the authority’s drive to reduce carbon emissions.

The Renault Kangoo Maxi ZE will be used for pest control, environmental crime and dog warden services, replacing a petrol-driven van.

The new vehicle has a range of about 100 miles, making it ideal for the trips around the district that it will be making. It has been bought following a successful trial held in February last year.

The petrol van was driven about 10,000 miles per year and based on that figure it is estimated that the new electric vehicle will allow the Council make a carbon saving of about 1.8 tonnes a year, as well as improving local air quality.

The Council benefited from a £5,000 Government Plug-In Grant, bringing the cost of the new vehicle down to £13,588 and, over four years, it is estimated it will be more than £2,500 cheaper to run than a diesel-powered equivalent.

Councillor Daniel Cribbin, Environment Portfolio Holder at Daventry District Council, said:

“This Council is always looking for ways to further reduce our carbon footprint so we saw this as a great opportunity. We also hope it inspires others, particularly local businesses, to look into the possibility of using electric vehicles.

“If it proves a success we will look to replace more of the Council’s vehicles with electric models. We’re also exploring the possibility of having an electric pool car for staff and increasing the number of electric vehicle charge points in the district.”

The move follows the installation of Daventry District’s first free public charging point for electric vehicles in the Lodge Road car park at the council offices in May 2013.

Sponsored by Woodford Halse firm Great Central Plastics, it allows owners of electric cars to recharge their vehicle for free for up to four hours in a designated parking bay.

Source: Northampton Herald and Post

The Electric Vehicle: Celebrating Five Years of Progress

Towards the end of 2009, zero-emission electric cars were little more than concept cars. At that year’s Frankfurt motor show Renault displayed four electric prototypes – the Fluence, Z.E sedan, the Kangoo Z.E van, the Twizy tandem two-seater and the ZOE subcompact… but that’s all they were: ideas. Electric cars were an utopian dream, something for the sci-fi magazines.

What a difference five years makes. Today electric cars are a reality. Manufacturers, led by Alliance partners Renault and Nissan, have a growing number of pure electric vehicles on sale – indeed, the trail-blazing Nissan LEAF is the world’s bestselling EV.

Major cities across the globe all have extensive recharging posts in place, and extended fast charging networks now link countries. Electric bikes and scooters are readily available and Renault is behind a global single-seat motor racing championship purely for electric vehicles – Formula E.

Cities and towns in France – 18 in all, including Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux – have car-sharing programmes, called Autolib, based around electric vehicles. EVs have caught on in London, too, where the electric Nissan e-NV200 has been developed into an iconic black cab and is due to start taking fares next year.

So what’s going to happen between now and 2020? There can be no doubt that charging networks will continue to expand and sales of EVs will rise and rise. And, who knows, electric vehicles might no longer need humans behind the wheels. Autonomous cars might be at the concept stage at the moment… but as we have seen, a great deal can happen in five years.

Source: Renault-Nissan Blog

Symbio FCell fuel cell Kangoo ZE (Image: Symbio)

Symbio delivers first hydrogen range-extender Kangoo EVs

French company Symbio FCell thinks that electric vehicle technology and hydrogen fuel cells should get along. In the same delivery vehicle, in fact.

Last year, Symbio started testing a hydrogen fuel-cell range extender that was built into a Renault Kangoo electric vehicle. Today, Symbio announced it has delivered the first five of a planned 40-vehicle fleet of Renault Kangoo ZE Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) with a bespoke hydrogen fuel cell range extender. This system carries 1.8 kilograms (almost four pounds) of H2 on board and each kilogram extends the range by about 100 kilometers (62 miles). So, the Symbio system doubles the range of the Kangoo ZE, which “makes hydrogen-powered electric vehicles more competitive in the automotive markets,” Symbio says.

The vehicles were ordered as part of a project led by the Conseil Général de la Manche, which already has a hydrogen refueling station available and has what Symbio says is an “important potential” for making low-carbon electricity, like hydrokinetic, offshore wind and nuclear.

Read more: AutoBlog

Leasing industry welcomes Renault battery U-turn

A new ownership package for two of Renault’s most popular electric vehicles has been welcomed by the leasing industry.

It will now offer customers in the UK the chance to buy the Kangoo ZE and Zoe with a battery; previously the only option was to lease the power source separately.

It’s a shift in policy that has won the support of some of the country’s biggest leasing companies, which struggled to forecast accurate residual values for the vehicles.

In fact, Zenith Leasedrive simply chose not to include the Kangoo ZE and Zoe in its EV line-up at all, but told Fleet News that both vehicles will now be offered to customers.

Ian Hughes, commercial director at Zenith Leasedrive, said:

“We are delighted with the change of direction by Renault in its electric vehicle strategy.

“It was particularly difficult to forecast an accurate residual value in circumstances when a vehicle is bought but the battery hired – a bit like trying to sell a car without an engine.”

The policy required Alphabet to create a complicated “workaround”, according to its head of consultancy services, Jon Burdekin. He said:

“This move from Renault removes the complication. It will also remove any potential confusion in the market as to whether the battery is included in the quote or not. By making things easier to understand, Renault brings itself in line with other manufacturers in an area which it was previously behind on.”

Lex Autolease, like Alphabet, was already offering Renault EVs, with Kangoo ZE and Zoe amongst a fleet of some 700-plus plug-in vehicles leased by the company.

But Chris Chandler, Lex Autolease’s principal consultant, also recognised the difficulties that came with the leased battery option. He said:

“The introduction of a battery purchase option will make contract hire simpler for Lex Autolease. It is much simpler for us as a business to own both the battery and the vehicle.”

The French manufacturer had insisted that its battery leasing model offered the best deal for drivers contemplating a plug-in car. It argued that it reduced the transaction price of its plug-in vehicles and made them more competitive (fleetnews.co.uk, March 11, 2014).

However, pricing expert CAP refused to forecast used values for Renault’s EVs until the battery was included, and new tax rules meant the cost of replacing the battery would have to be added to the car’s list price for P11D purposes from 2015/16 (fleetnews.co.uk, April 5, 2013).

Renault hopes that by simplifying its offer to the leasing industry it could create greater traction in the fleet market.

“This will open the door to fleet [customers],”

said Ken Ramirez, managing director of Renault UK.

“The addition of full purchase versions on our core EV models will offer business customers a greater choice and further strengthen our position in the EV market.”

The Zoe i – the ‘i’ stands for battery included – is available from £18,443 on-the-road, after the Government’s plug-in car grant, compared to £13,995 on battery lease. The Kangoo Van i range starts at £16,161 (+VAT) after the grant, compared to £12,995 (+VAT) if the battery is leased.

Steve Jones, general manager of asset risk at Leaseplan, agrees that the change could generate more interest from corporate customers. He said:

“Both Zoe and Kangoo are strong propositions in the electric vehicle market, but the leased battery added a level of uncertainty for fleets and contract hire companies alike.

“The process came across as complicated and some companies may not have considered Zoe and Kangoo ZE in their selection process as a result. Now this complexity has been removed, it’s much easier for customers to work with Renault so we should start to see an increase in adoption.”

This could also have a positive effect on RVs.

“The used car market doesn’t like uncertainty and the position on the battery lease has always been that,”

explained Nick Hardy, sales and marketing director at Ogilvie Fleet.

“The true test will be in how the used car market views these vehicles in three to four years’ time and what, if any, difference it makes with actual, real-world residual values.”

Source: Fleet News

Renault picks up two awards at 2014 Green Apple Awards

  • Kangoo Z.E. electric van and Clio both pick up awards
  • Green Apple Awards now in their fourth year
  • 2014 is third year that Renault has won Green Apple Awards

Renault has won two environmental awards at the 2014 Green Apple Awards at a ceremony held at the Houses of Parliament in London this week.

The Renault Kangoo Z.E electric van was awarded the Green Apple Automotive Industry Bronze Award whilst the Renault Clio was named Runner Up in the Small Family Cars category.

These two accolades build on Renault’s success in previous Green Apple Awards. Last year, the Renault ZOE electric car took the Overall Winner prize as well as being named Best Small Family Car and in 2012 Renault was applauded with two awards for its commitment to zero emissions motoring.

Commenting on awarding the Kangoo Z.E. van the Automotive Industry Bronze Winner prize, a spokesperson for The Green Organisation said:

“The Renault Kangoo Z.E. Van was the market’s first all-electric light commercial vehicle. This purpose-built van has zero tailpipe emissions, is cheap to run and easy to charge. It has instant torque, making it rather quick – but at the same time very quiet and smooth to drive.”

The awards are organised by the Midlands-based The Green Organisation and were judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers.

Midland Group chairman Ian Donaldson said:

“When The Green Organisation asked us for our current green champions we wanted to go further than some other awards and look beyond the official figures and rank our favourites in the real world, taking into account how they performed in our hands.”

The Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. is the world’s first 100%-electric van produced directly by a mass-market vehicle manufacturer. It provides zero tailpipe emissions and silent motoring that is ideal for commercial use within urban environments. The 44kW electric motor and 22kWh lithium-ion battery provide 226Nm of torque, available from rest, which allows for smooth, linear acceleration.

The official range of 105 miles means that the vast majority of van users’ daily driving can be done on one charge. Kangoo Van Z.E. is available in four versions – Kangoo Van Z.E., Kangoo Van Maxi Z.E. (2 seats), Kangoo Maxi Crew Van Cab, and Kangoo Van Z.E. Maxi Crew Van (5 seats) – and is priced from £12,995 (+ VAT, after Plug in Van Grant) complete with a four-year/100,000-mile warranty and four years’ roadside assistance.

Launch of Rapid Charge Network (Image: Renault)

Renault-Nissan Alliance sells its 200,000th electric vehicle

  • Renault-Nissan EVs have driven 4 billion kilometres and enjoy 58 per cent of zero-emission global market share
  • Nissan LEAF remains best-selling EV ever; Renault led in Europe last month
  • Alliance launches monthly video series introducing electric vehicle owners from around the world sharing their personal stories with their zero-emission car

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold its 200,000th electric vehicle and has a leading 58 per cent market share for zero-emission cars.

Together, Renault and Nissan EVs have driven approximately 4 billion zero-emission kilometres – enough to circle the earth 100,000 times. Renault-Nissan’s EVs represent 200 million litres of fuel saved – enough to fill about 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Alliance EVs also represent 450 million kg of CO2 that has not been emitted while driving.

The Alliance sold its 200,000th EV in early November, about four years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. Nissan LEAF remains the best-selling electric vehicle in history.

From January through the first week of November of this year, the Alliance sold about 66,500 EV units—an increase of about 20 per cent from the same period last year. The Alliance sells about two out of three electric vehicles worldwide, including Twizy, Renault’s two-seater urban commuter vehicle and the Nissan e-NV200 van on sale in Europe and Japan.

“Renault and Nissan’s electric vehicles are the zero-emission volume leaders – and, most important, they enjoy high satisfaction rates from customers around the world,”

said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman & CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

“Based on positive owner feedback and the increasing demand for cars that run on renewable energy, it’s no surprise that EV sales are accelerating – particularly in regions where the charging infrastructure is well developed.”

To capture what the first 200,000 consumers love about their electric vehicles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is launching a series of videos featuring EV owners on three continents. “I Made the Switch” tells why people bought their electric vehicles and how switching to a zero-emission vehicle has changed their lives. The first video features Chris Beers, a software engineer from Holliston, Massachusetts, USA, one of many Americans who powers his Nissan LEAF with clean solar energy. To see the video, click here: www.multivu.com/players/English/7381531-renault-nissan-electric-vehicle-sales/

USA and Japan lead the world in EV ownership

In the United States, the Alliance’s biggest electric vehicle market, there are more than 750 quick chargers in operation. Nissan is working with its dealers and charging partners to increase that number to 1,100 by mid-2015. The quick chargers are able to charge a LEAF from zero to 80 per cent capacity in about 30 minutes.

This year, Nissan also launched its “No Charge to Charge” program, which provides free access to selected charging stations for two years with the purchase or lease of a new Nissan LEAF. “No Charge to Charge” is currently active in 12 U.S. markets, and Nissan plans to expand to additional markets by mid-2015.

In Japan, the Alliance’s second-biggest EV market, there are more than 2,900 quick chargers in operation. Nissan and Japan’s three other top automakers have pledged to work together to raise that number to 6,000 by March 2015.

In Europe, the UK is the most advanced market in terms of electric vehicle infrastructure. Today, the quick charging network already covers 87 per cent of the UK’s motorways.

Nissan LEAF is the world’s best-selling electric vehicle; Renault led in Europe in October

With six electric vehicle models on the road, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is the only global car group with a full range of 100 per cent electric vehicles – and they can be fully charged with purely renewable energy.

Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan has sold a cumulative 148,700 units worldwide since December 2010, when Nissan LEAF went on sale. Nissan LEAF has collected industry honors including the 2011 World Car of the Year, European Car of the Year 2011 and Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012. The electric vehicle has the highest global customer satisfaction rate for any Nissan vehicle ever.

The top markets for Nissan LEAF are the United States with about 67,000 sales since its launch, Japan with about 46,500 units and Europe with about 31,000 units.

In the United States, LEAF is on track to be the top electric vehicle in 2014, outselling all other electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Sales so far this year are up 35 per cent, and Nissan LEAF has enjoyed 21 consecutive record sales months and has already shattered its own yearly U.S. sales record with two months to go. In addition to LEAF, Nissan also sells the e-NV200 van, which went on sale in Europe in June and in Japan in October.

Meanwhile, Boulogne-Billancourt, France-based Renault has sold a cumulative 51,500 electric vehicles worldwide since its first model the Kangoo Z.E. went on sale in October 2011. Kangoo Z.E. was voted International Van of the Year 2012. Renault recently delivered its 5,000th Kangoo Z.E. to La Poste, France’s national postal service and operator of the country’s largest corporate fleet. An additional 5,000 units will be delivered in the coming years.

In addition to Kangoo Z.E. and Twizy, Renault’s zero-emission range also includes the ZOE subcompact and the Fluence Z.E. sedan. In South Korea, the Fluence Z.E. is sold as the SM3 Z.E. under the Renault Samsung Motor badge. Like Nissan LEAF, ZOE enjoys the highest satisfaction rate of Renault’s Global product lineup.

Renault’s top markets in Europe – its main electric vehicle market – are France, Germany and the United Kingdom. In October, Renault regained the number one EV position in Europe with a market share of 31 per cent. ZOE was the most popular vehicle with a 23 per cent market share.

About the Renault-Nissan Alliance

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars worldwide. The companies, which have been strategic partners since 1999, sold 8.3 million cars in nearly 200 countries in 2013. The Alliance also operates strategic collaborations with automakers including Germany’s Daimler, China’s Dongfeng, and India’s Ashok Leyland and has a majority stake in the joint venture which owns Russia’s top automaker, AVTOVAZ.