BURSA, Turkey — Renault is stepping up its production plans for zero-emissions vehicles with the announcement that it will build the Fluence EV at its plant here in Turkey starting in the first half of 2011. Earlier this month, the French automaker said it would put the electric Kangoo van into production in Flins, France.
The automaker will also put two other future EVs in production: the Twizy, which will be built in Valladolid, Spain, and the Zoé, in Maubeuge, France.
Renault says the Fluence EV, based on the company's Fluence Z.E. Concept, will be built alongside traditionally powered Fluence models at the company's OYAK-Renault plant in Bursa, Turkey. Doing so, Renault notes, will "limit the entry price of the program and ensure an industrial fast start." The electrically powered Fluence is expected to cost about the same as the standard model.
The Fluence EV has both standard and rapid-charge capability and additionally can be recharged through "QuickDrop" battery exchange, Renault says. The standard Fluence has 1.6- and 2.0-liter gasoline engines and a choice of five variants of the 1.5-liter diesel.
The Fluence EV will be marketed first to Israel and Denmark starting in the first half of 2011, with other countries to follow later.
Inside Line says: Renault's plan to be a global EV power continues apace. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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