Renault has used its Paris AGM in May to showcase the latest in its fast evolving portfolio of EV technologies with the unveiling of an all-electric version of its little Kangoo commercial vehicle.
The Kangoo 'be bop' ZE functioned as a kind of progress report to shareholders in the company's bid to be ready when consumer acceptance of EVs reaches critical mass and the market takes off.
The ZE's powertrain features technologies the company says are 'very similar' to those in the mass-market EV lineup it is preparing for release in 2011.
Power comes care of a 44kW electric motor producing peak torque of 190Nm. It's connected by a sophisticated, variable-throughput power management unit to a 15kWh lithium-ion battery sourced from Automotive Electric Supply Corp (AESC), a joint venture between Renault's alliance partner Nissan and Japanese electronics giant NEC.
The 48-cell power pack is compact enough to sit behind the car's dash. At this point it's good for around 100 kilometres.
But so fast is lithium-ion technology evolving, says Renault, that by the time its EVs go to market in 2011 this will likely have increased to somewhere around 160km.
Replacing conventional gearbox or CVT transmissions is a reducer absorbing engine speeds of up to 12,000 rpm and pushing power out through a single, constant output ratio.
Top speed is capped at 130km/h to maximise power efficiency and range.
Renault has given the standard Kangoo body a subtle aerodynamic makeover, reduced ground clearance by 20mm and equipped it with energy efficient LED lighting front and rear. In addition to the normal dash gauge, it has exterior charge readouts on the doors, activated by a button on its key fob.
The EZ can be charged from either the 220V/10-16A domestic grid, which takes 6-8 hours, or the 400V/32A three-phase supply, reducing charging time to well under an hour.
Renault expects the battery pack to deliver between 80 and 100 per cent of its original capacity for six years.
And with lithium-ion also offering plenty of scope for recycling, Renault-Nissan is using the pre-release period to sort out collection and operational processes and put the necessary infrastructures in place.
Starting in July, the company will tour the EZ prototype across Europe, making it available for test drives.
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