The French manufacturer is taking quite a risk given that this will leave many countries with only a short space of time in which to set up a reasonable electric charging infrastructure, though according to Autocar magazine who feature the three Renault ZE concepts this week, Israel and Denmark have both made commitments to importing 100,000 electric Fluence models by 2012. Renault will be establishing a network of "Quickdrop" centres (areas where ZE customers can take their car to have the entire battery unit changed for a fully-charged on in around three minutes) in these countries.
The Twizy
The Twizy microcar is the smallest of Renault's ZE (Zero-Emissions) concepts and has been confirmed for production in Spain in 2011. The car/scooter is a tandem two seater and is designed solely for city driving, with performance similar to that of a 125cc scooter (topping out at around 50mph). Range is short at roughly 60 miles, but realistically you don't need any more than that in a city commute and even in a city like London you should be able to get at least a couple of days' commuting out of it. As you can see in Autocar's video above, the Twizy is apparently quite fun to drive.The Zoe
The Zoe is supermini-sized (only slightly larger than a Clio) though unlike the Twizy and the larger Fluence, the styling might well change significantly for production. Renault say the Zoe is more representative of what can be done in terms of size. Range is around 100 miles and the motor makes the equivalent of 95bhp giving a 90mph top speed.The Fluence
Looking more production-ready than either the Twizy or the Zoe is the Fluence. Styling-wise it shares hints of Renault's 2005 Fluence concept as well as a hint of Tesla Model S. However, it's likely to look much more similar to the production petrol and diesel Fluence that appears to be replacing the old Megane saloon. The concept has the same powertrain as the Zoe and shares similar performance and range.
Renault are clearly taking a large risk putting four EVs on sale at the same time (the fourth is an EV version of the current Kangoo van) but this may well be the kick other manufacturers (and indeed customers) need to embrace electric car technology. We await 2011-12 eagerly to see if customers are ready to take the plunge...
Looking more production-ready than either the Twizy or the Zoe is the Fluence. Styling-wise it shares hints of Renault's 2005 Fluence concept as well as a hint of Tesla Model S. However, it's likely to look much more similar to the production petrol and diesel Fluence that appears to be replacing the old Megane saloon. The concept has the same powertrain as the Zoe and shares similar performance and range.Renault are clearly taking a large risk putting four EVs on sale at the same time (the fourth is an EV version of the current Kangoo van) but this may well be the kick other manufacturers (and indeed customers) need to embrace electric car technology. We await 2011-12 eagerly to see if customers are ready to take the plunge...
Place your bets on how long it takes for another team to break the record again... News via AutoBlogGreen and Car Watch (Japanese site).
Tom says that the car can cope with 99% of the jobs he'd expect from any car, and even enjoys driving it, with none of the range paranoia that's often mentioned in relation to the short distances EVs can currently manage compared to regular cars.
The announcement is fantastic news for both jobs in the North East of England and the UK car manufacturing industry as a whole. Production is expected to commence in 2013.
Only a week after the announcement that the Nissan plant in Sunderland would be manufacturing Nissan's new EV the Leaf, the Baltic gallery and Gateshead will be hosting a conference on green vehicles, focusing on EVs, hydrogen vehicles and hybrids. Visitors will be arriving from all over the world, from as far away as Japan, Korea and the USA.
The congress has been organised by Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies.
This news is good for Smart, as the company has long been struggling to turn a profit and the deal guarantees its future. A short wheelbase platform being developed by the new pairing will underpin the next generation Smart, as well as the Renault Twizy and a new Nissan small car to take on Toyota's iQ. A longer wheelbase will also be used, which could provide a replacement for the short-lived Smart ForFour.
First impressions of the concept car are good. It looks, too all intents and purposes, like a regular car. This of course is for good reason, as regular cars are what people actually 
To this end then, the Leaf is off to a good start. It's a five-door hatchback with space for five, a good boot, and an inoffensive shape that manages to retain a bit of character. The front is modern and equipped with large headlights similar to those on the Ford Fiesta, and the rear has a hint of the last-generation Renault Megane about it. Even the interior is much like a normal car, with normal controls and two hooded instrument clusters. Only the large digital display in the centre console really hints at the Leaf's high-tech drivetrain.
From this point, the package starts looking quite different from regular cars. The shape has been specially designed for aerodynamic efficiency - those lights split airflow over the mirrors to reduce drag, and thanks to LED technology consume less power, too. The large Nissan badge on the nose sits on a hinged flap that opens up to reveal two charging points, one for quick chargers that can provied up to 80% charge in half an hour, and the other for a more leisurely charge. Range is around 100 miles which doesn't sound like a lot, but most research seems to suggest that the majority of journeys in the UK are over fewer than eight miles, so even if you didn't put the car on charge every night most people would still have enough for ten journeys.
The batteries themselves are stored under the cabin floor. The electric motor they power delivers 80kw of power, or around 107bhp. They also give a huge 280nm (206lb ft) of torque from zero rpm.
Sitting behind the wheel of the Tiida-based test car and moving off, this torque is immediately noticeable. Movement is instant and remarkably smooth in a way that even the best automatic transmission in a regular car can't manage. Throttle response can't be faulted. The silence is rather eerie at first but it makes the car seem supremely relaxing to drive - I suspect that the utter silence and smooth power delivery would make even the worst city driving seem far less stressful. As would the controls, which are simplicity in themselves - a tiny joystic selects drive (left and back), reverse (left and forwards) and a little button on the top selects park.
The test car didn't have regenerative braking but the production Leaf will do. As such, the brakes felt quite sharp, having probably been beefed up in the test car to make up for the lack of engine braking. Normally, simply backing off the power would see significant braking from the motor - to the point where using the car's brakes would be an uncommon occurence in town.
Propulsion aside, it again feels just like a regular petrol or diesel powered car. It's difficult to make too accurate a judgement on the finished product given that I only got a three laps of a very short circuit in which to test the car, but both ride and steering seemed fine - presumably no different from the petrol-powered Tiida. Again, this is important in attracting the buying public to the car - all the benefits of EV technology but with none of the drawbacks of cars like the G-Wiz.
Overall, I came away very impressed with the Leaf and itching to have another go. Electric cars are rapidly getting to the point where they can be considered serious alternatives to petrol and diesel cars for many people.
Of course, this is very much price-dependant. The number being thrown about at the moment is around £27,000 which is a lot for a small family car, but as with any technology the early adopters will bear the brunt of higher prices and this will bring down the unit cost for the manufacturers.