There are many things that go against the purchase of an electric car in the minds of the car buying public. From so-called “range anxiety” to monthly battery hire, battery life and replacement, and recharge times, the actual economics of buying an electric vehicle are far from simple.

Renault is claiming its new Fluence model, to be sold at a price of 17,850 pounds (about 20,000 euros) is the “UK’s most affordable electric car”. In Europe that translates to a real price of about 27,000 euros. The price includes the current UK government’s 5,000-pound “Plug-in Car Grant” and added to that overall price will be a monthly battery leasing arrangement of 75 pounds a month.

Renault has been investing heavily in its electric car range and the Fluence will be released in the UK next car. Comments on Autocar though, indicate what kind of problems electric cars in general, and the Fluence in particular, are facing on the market. Despite a fair price for an electric car, notoriously considered expensive vehicles in general, the Fluence will suffer from its sedan style inappropriate for city driving, a range of about 115 miles (depending on road conditions and quoted in kilometres as 120 km) and an apparent eight-hour recharge time from zero to full.

Add to those considerations battery leasing and replacement costs and timing, and you’re looking at a lot of people making some complicated calculations to figure out just whether this is right for them. While the Renault Fluence price is competitive with the Nissan Leaf, it looks like car manufacturers have some more work to convince the market beyond quoting possible average range figures that might actually be far less than anticipated. The most skeptical comment so far? Whether there’s room in the boot for a generator….

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If you want a glimpse into the world of producing electric cars, this video from Renault on the Fluence Z.E gives us some idea as to the development and investment required in projects of this kind. The Fluence is just one Renault’s electric line-up which also includes the Kangoo, Zoe and Twizy. The main player in this video is the Fluence, which will be released in mid-2011.

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The 2010 Paris Motor Show will feature the new Renault DeZir concept, seen in these pics and the official video. The new Renault concept car follows in the footsteps of many recent concepts from the company, and is the first to be designed by Laurens Van den Acker, new head of Renault’s design studio. The DeZir continues Renault’s exploration into electric territory and is a sports car measuring slightly over 420 cm and having asymmetric, winged doors.

The DeZir has been created with Renault’s new “Drive the Change” slogan about future mobility and alternative fuel options in a marketing campaign that appeals directly to our emotions. The DeZir should also prove to be an early prototype of a new design direction for Renault, although it does remind me of the Renault Fluence concept, now production car for 2012, that was presented at last year’s Frankfurt show.

The DeZir has 21-inch alloy wheels to highlight its sports style, and will be an extremely light vehicle weighing just 830 kg thanks to the use of plenty of Kevlar. It will be equipped with an electric motor of 150 hp and 226 Nm, with a top speed of 180 km/hr. The DeZir will have rear wheel drive, and the Kers technology guarantees a range of 160 km. An 80 percent recharge capacity can be achieved in 20 minutes. The DeZir videos are after the jump.

Continue reading: Renault DeZir pics and video

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The Fiat 2010 New Year commercial is less about wishing you a Happy New Year and more about showing you the hopes for the Fiat-Chrysler deal for 2010. With a few historic images, very Italian in nature, we’re taken to the Fiat 500 cruising some world famous American sites. It’s a strange video for the local Italian audience, as if they needed convincing about the Fiat-Chrysler deal.

Another European manufacturer focussed on something more ecological for the New Year, with Renault producing a New Year video about its electric cars. With highly recognisable footage from recreation to environmental disasters, the Renault commercial closes with a brief look at the Renault Zoe: one of the family of Renault electrics made up of the Twizy, Fluence and Z.E. See the video after the jump.

Continue reading: Fiat and Renault: New Year commercials on Chrysler deal and electric cars

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The European car market is changing, with Eastern Europe enjoying larger shares of production and manufacturing. The hugely successful Fiat 500, for example, is made in Poland, and Renault is now continuing this trend of moving manufacturing elsewhere with the announcement that the electric prototype Renault Fluence, first on show at the 2009 IAA Frankfurt motor show, will be produced in the Bursa factory in Turkey.

This announcement completes the various facilities destined to produce Renault’s electric cars, with the the Zoé and Kangoo Express Z.E. being made in France, the Twizy in Spain and the Fluence in Turkey. Production will commence in the first six months of 2011.

For Renault this is merely a natural step to take, as the Fluence will be assembled at the same facilities as the fuel version, meaning a quick start to the project and easy transition to the electric assembly function. However, Renault makes the point that this is also a cost measure, ensuring that the electric Fluence makes it to market with a competitive price tag.

Renault Fluence Z.E.

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The Renault electric concept vehicles presented at Frankfurt were Twizy, Zoe, Fluence and the Z.E previously seen at Paris. The company has ambitious plans for its range of electric vehicles, stating that they will be widespread in the future. If things go according to plan, the Z.E cars, currently in concept form, will be available on the market in 2011, in a comprehensive range of European zero emissions vehicles.

The problem with most car companies committing to electric vehicles is, as always, the lack of infrastructure and articulated plans by government and industry to make infrastructure available. And so, Renault will be building its electric vehicles with a standard recharge time of between four and eight hours. The Z.E cars will all be equipped with external recharge points, and will even be fitted with a ‘Quickdrop’ system meaning the entire battery package can be substituted in three minutes.

The claims of “widespread” dominance of the market probably won’t happen with the Renault Twizy, the most original of the four prototypes. We find it hard to see how this car, based on motorcycle concepts (and, lets face it, motorcycle comfort, too). Despite this, it has a 2012 debut planned, with its 15kW motor. We think it may not see the light, but the market, and the car itself, may change in that time.

Continue reading: Renault electric concepts from Frankfurt

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