Following on from my previous post discussing clean technology being showcased in Copenhagen I have done some further investigation into the new range of zero emissions vehicles being developed by Renault. The Z.E series was first outlined by Renault in 2008 and will include 4 unique vehicle designs to suit different consumer needs. Consumers will be able to choose from the two seat Twizy aimed at the young urban market who require compact and affordable transport, the Kangoo aimed at the smalle business market providing a small commercial transport solution and finally the two differing saloon options the Zoe (compact) and Fluence (family).
This development by Renault shows the first real shift by any major automotive firm in Europe to produce, not just a one off, but a spectrum of zero emissions vehicles. All the vehicles in the Z.E range will be fuelled by an electric Lithium-Ion battery pack. Renault has also teamed up with Better Place to develop and implement battery exchange stations. These stations will dispel the reservations of most conventional vehicle drivers concerning the range issue of electric vehicles. An automated system will remove the depleted battery pack and substitute it with a fully charged replacement with the entire process taking a few minutes. Before this design innovation, electric vehicle batteries were recharged by an electric outlet with refuel times upwards of 8 hours.
These vehicles have also been designed to visibly stand out from the common vehicles operating on Europe’s roads. In this regard, Renault has taken inspiration from Toyota and their Prius hybrid electric vehicle. Toyota realised that consumers who were interested in purchasing a hybrid vehicle wished for their green credentials to be observable to their social peers. As the purchase and operating of a personal vehicle displays a form of conspicuous consumption it allows drivers to exhibit a host of personal attributes, including their green orientation. People who purchase a Prius want to be seen as doing their bit for the environment and with the Prius’s unique chassis design this allows them to do just that. Renault has incorporated this idea into their E.Z designs which are beautifully styled.
The launch date of this new range is earmarked for 2011 with a handy countdown timer on the Renault website. Prices for the vehicles will be comparable or cheaper than that of conventional ICE models. This is accomplished by the vehicle being purchased without the Lithium-Ion battery (which can represent about £5-10, 000 of the vehicle price). The battery will instead be owned by Better Place who will lease it back to the customer with monthly subscriptions of between £200-300. This will facilitate the battery exchange system and also eliminate the cost premium usually attached to environmental technology. This may also prove a hindrance to researchers working in this sector who are used to eliciting consumer preferences by asking “How much would you be willing to pay…”
In a recent interview, some of the senior Renault representatives working on the E.Z discussed some of their views on the car and market development. They stressed Renault’s commitment to reducing CO2 emissions from vehicle transport and placed emphasis on customer engagement throughout the whole concept and implementation process. They highlighted their partnership with national governments in producing a framework for reducing the impact of vehicle transport on the environment. The also discussed the importance of emerging markets and the role they could play in mitigating global CO2 emissions. The opportunity for industrialising nations, particularly China and India, to leapfrog to a clean transport energy system is now before too much capital gets invested into a hydrocarbon infrastructure. There are some encouraging signs that this is taken place with Tata (the company that manufacture the Gee-Wizz) being based in India and also the world’s largest electric vehicle factory recently opening in China.
With Renault being the first major European firm to bring a range of electric vehicles to market it will be interesting to see how the industry will react. I imagine that most other big automotive firms have similar development wings but they will be keeping a watchful eye on Renault’s performance. Renault has the opportunity to firmly establish their brand as the environmentally friendly leader in the industry. This first mover’s advantage gives Renault the ability to generate an industry lead in this emerging market but will also represent a large investment in company capital. Like all new car launches there is a chance both of high success but also of dismal failure. With the eyes of the industry firmly on them it is critical, not only for Renault but also for our environment, that its venture into the electric vehicle market meets with triumph.
No comments:
Post a Comment