Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Renault Fluence ZE Saloon review [3 VIDEO]

An expressive front, luxurious lines... The design of the Fluence Z.E. is modern and sleek.
From its headlights and the details in its grille, to the specially blue chrome - a signature that this belongs to the exclusive Renault Z.E. range. A sign that signifies those who are streets ahead. The style of the Renault Fluence Z.E. rocks the status quo: stating that you can be intelligent, elegant and ahead of the game at one and the same time.

A new form of driving pleasure available to everybody
Renault Fluence Z.E. was revealed in September 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the form of a concept car, before being presented at the Paris Motor Show in 2010 in its definitive form. This all-electric saloon is aimed at private buyers or fleet owners looking for a prestige vehicle that respects the environment.
The electric motor on Renault Fluence Z.E. is of the wound rotor synchronous type. Maximum power of 70 kW is obtained from 3,000 rpm with maximum torque of 226 Nm. This electric powerplant delivers strong, linear acceleration with maximum torque kicking in at an early stage.
The lithium-ion battery on Renault Fluence Z.E has an energy capacity of 22 kWh. A system to recover energy on deceleration recharges the batteries. Unlike ICE vehicles, electric cars are most economical in the city and in thick traffic.
Renault Fluence Z.E. has a homologated range of 185 km over an NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) combined cycle. In real usage, range varies between 80 km and 200 km depending on driving conditions.
A major innovation on Renault electric vehicles is the pre-conditioning system. When the car is plugged in, the driver can programme pre-heating or pre-cooling of the cabin. An Eco Mode function is also available on Renault Fluence Z.E. Activating this function limits operation of the air conditioning and heating system to increase range by up to 10%.
Renault Fluence Z.E. has two charging modes: standard charge (between 6 and 9 hours) and Quickdrop (under 5 minutes), available in countries where Renault has signed a partnership with Better Place (Israel, Denmark, Australia), for automated battery swap stations. A 1-hour fast charge to recover 80 % of the battery range, will be available at a later date.
The sedan has taken part in many international events and been involved in many trials. Among them: the SAVE (Seine Aval VĂ©hicules Electriques) in the Paris region, the Challenge Bibendum, the Z.E. Tour and the Rio+20 Summit.
Renault Fluence Z.E. is built at the OYAK-Renault plant in Bursa (Turkey), an ISO 14001 certified site, on the same production line as Renault Fluence.
One of the major attractions of the Fluence ZE is its low purchase price. That doesn't actually include ownership of the battery, which may sound like a scam, as you have to pay a monthly lease fee, but it does mean that you have the peace of mind of having the battery replaced for 'free' if it ever has an issue. Renault reckons the running costs are lower than a similarly powerful diesel engine, especially when you take into consideration the lesser maintenance required.
Price from 17845  £
MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE £22,845.00 incl. taxes

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