Renault Fluence ZE Concept, 2009
Renault Fluence ZE Concept is a statement of Renault's intention to produce a range of zeroemission vehicles that meet the needs of all types of customer. Renault Fluence ZE Concept is a genuine family car which demonstrates that attractive styling, comfort and space can go hand in hand with respect for the environment.
Renault Fluence ZE Concept is an all-electric car with a range of 160km. The battery can be charged using one of three methods: a standard charge (between four and eight hours), a quick charge (20 minutes) or an immediate solution (three minutes) in the form of the exclusive 'Quickdrop' rapid battery exchange system.
Renault Fluence ZE Concept previews the forthcoming electric version of Fluence, and represents a solution to zero-emission motoring in the world of tomorrow.
A FAMILY FATHER LOOKING FOR AN ECOLOGICAL FAMILY CAR
You don't have to be young, rich, single, trendy and living in the city to drive an electric car. Renault has proved as much with Renault Fluence ZE Concept, a car aimed squarely at the single-car family father who would use the car every day to go to the office, but who would also want to take his wife and children to the country at the weekend. Therefore, the car needs to serve to an extent as a status symbol, but it must also provide enough interior space to function as a comfortable family car. The owner is environmentally aware, but wants to maintain his or her lifestyle and habits, too, without feeling guilty for it.
ELECTRIC MOBILITY WITH A PASSION
The styling cues of Renault Fluence ZE Concept combine the design language of motoring pleasure with the visual signature of Renault's range of electric vehicles.
Renault Fluence ZE Concept possesses dynamic lines, highlighted by a fluid character line which sweeps from the headlights to the rear shoulders. It is 4,820mm long, has a wide track of 1,672 mm, is wellproportioned and exudes status-enhancing, elegant looks.
Renault Fluence ZE Concept also clearly belongs to Renault's 'family' of electric vehicles thanks to:
* its Atmosphere Blue body colour,
* the specific luminous blue signature which features in the curved lower part of the body sides,
* the use of LEDs at the front and rear,
* the design of its headlights,
* the recess behind the logo on the bonnet.
The headlights convey the same impression of softness suggested by the vehicle's overall lines and colour. They are a high-tech feature, too: beneath the 'eyelids' formed by the indicators, the beams of the main headlights are precise and piercing, with the light focused into a single beam by means of a system of prisms.
The vehicle's status-enhancing credentials are further emphasised by the employment of chrome trimming for the belt-line and grille, as well as by its impressive 21-inch wheels. Blue polycarbonate hubcaps seem to slot into the aluminium wheels to create a spiral form which channels the airflow and improves aerodynamic performance.
LUXURY, HARMONY AND� ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Renault Fluence ZE Concept's warmly welcoming and refined interior is based on a combination of flowing forms, the use of soft, supple materials and a mottled ambience. Passengers are comfortably seated in four enveloping seats robed in light leather upholstery. The feet rest on a light blue translucent gel mat, while the brake and accelerator pedals, too, are covered in gel for a greater sense of comfort. When the doors open, the courtesy lighting recalls the luminous blue signature of Renault's electric vehicle range.
The technology used for the dashboard is sophisticated and intuitive. A TFT (Thin Film Transistor) touchscreen displays multimedia information and essential journey-related information such as the navigation function and the location of the nearest 'Quickdrop' station. The display also provides data specific to electric vehicles, such as range optimization information.
Renault Fluence ZE Concept is not respectful of the environment simply because it runs on electricity. Indeed, the entire car has been thought through to optimize energy use:
* the photovoltaic cells meet part of the car's energy requirements with a view to complementing the power supplied by the battery,
* the headlights use high-performance electroluminescent diodes which deliver an excellent trade-off between efficiency and energy consumption,
* the triple-zone climate control system allows occupants to achieve just the right settings for the two seats at the front and at the rear. The air vents also feature a dynamic lighting code, with blue representing the passage of cold air and red representing warm air,
* the car's aerodynamics have been meticulously honed to minimize drag, including streamlined rear-view mirrors with integrated rearward facing cameras, a completely enclosed underside incorporating a diffuser at the rear, and spiral-form wheel rims,
* Renault Fluence ZE Concept runs on low rolling resistance Michelin tyres.
THREE BATTERY-CHARGING TECHNIQUES
The driver has three options when it comes to 'filling up' on energy:
* A standard charge: takes between four and eight hours, via a charging socket situated on the outside of the vehicle.
* A quick charge: in 20 minutes, using the same socket at specific charging points.
* The exclusive 'Quickdrop' system: three minutes at a rapid battery exchange station.
TECHNICAL DATA
* MOTOR
o Type: Electric
o Transmission type: Direct drive with forward/reverse inverter
o Maximum power: 70 kW (95 hp)
o Maximum torque: 226 Nm
* BATTERY
o Type: Lithium-ion
o Range : 160 km
* STEERING
o Power steering
o Electric variable-rate powersteering
* DIMENSIONS
o Rims: 21"
o Length: 4,820 mm
o Width: 1,882 mm
o Height: 1,520 mm
o Wheelbase: 2,696 mm
o Front/rear track: 1,672/1,672 mm
o Front/rear overhang: 996/1,135 mm
o Unladen weight: 1,600 kg
o Tyres: 175/55 R21
o Boot volume (VDA): 327 dm3
* PARTNERS
o Body: Protostyle
o Tyres: Michelin
o Sealing: Rehau
o LED lighting: Osram
The Renault Espace is a large MPV from French car-maker Renault. Generations 1-3 were sold under the Renault brand but manufactured by Matra. The current fourth generation model, which seats seven passengers, is an all-Renault product; the Renault Grand Espace is a long-wheelbase version with increased rear leg room and boot size. The Espace is often credited as being the world's first MPV (a claim Renault themselves encourage). However, the 1950 Volkswagen Type 2, also known as the Kombi, and the 1956 Fiat 600 Multipla, popularised the versatile multi-seater concept some 30 years prior to the Espace, and the concept had been tried several times before that, an early example being the 1935 Stout Scarab. The Espace's design was originally conceived in the 1970s by the British designer, Fergus Pollock, (at around the same time as Giorgetto Giugiaro's 1978 Lancia Megagamma concept MPV), who was working for Chrysler UK (formerly the Rootes Group), at their design centre at Whitley, (now the Jaguar design centre) in Coventry. Later Matra, who were affiliated with Simca, the then French subsidiary of Chrysler, were involved in partnership in the design, spearheaded by Greek designer Antonis Volanis. The Espace was originally intended to be sold as a Talbot, and to be a replacement for the Matra Rancho leisure activity vehicle. Early prototypes used Simca parts, and hence featured a grille reminiscent of the Simca 1307 (Chrysler Alpine). The Espace was launched by Renault in 1984. After a very slow start — a grand total of nine Espaces were sold in the first month after launch — customers warmed to the benefits of the MPV concept and the Espace became very popular.
Building upon its success, the Espace was revamped in 1988 with most of the Talbot/Simca content being replaced by equivalent Renault parts (the chassis and mechanical components of the car remained largely unchanged). The most obvious cosmetic exterior difference between the very first Espaces and the revamped post-1988 models were the changed headlights: the forward-slanting lights with orange indicator casing of the original Espace were replaced with backward-slanting lights with a clear indicator casing.A heavily revised Espace was launched in 1991, adopting the Renault family look to replace the Talbot-themed styling of the original. This was essentially a re-skin of the original car, with a new dashboard and other interior improvements. The chassis was essentially unchanged. The third generation of the Espace arrived in 1997 while the long wheelbase Grand Espace appeared the following year, its most notable feature being the radical futuristic interior (with a centrally-mounted digital speedometer). A number of third generation Espaces were used as bases for NGV and taxi conversions for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transportation hub in Malaysia, rebranded as Enviro 2000s. The third-generation Espace was the last to be built by Matra; following an end to production for Renault, Matra and MG Rover negotiated over a possible deal for the latter to build and market Espaces but this never came to fruition.
The fourth-generation Espace arrived in 2003 and was the first entirely Renault-developed and produced model. The Espace is 90% recyclable and contains numerous weight-reducing materials, thus cutting fuel consumption. The aluminium doors and bonnet are some 20 kg lighter than steel equivalents. Its styling was reflective of a new design direction at Renault, symbolised by the radical Vel Satis and Avantime models, marking a major departure from the previous model, which also saw the range moved upmarket. The fourth-generation Espace came third from the bottom in the Top Gear Satisfaction Survey 2005. The 2003 Espace featured in British motoring TV show Fifth Gear where it was crashed into a 1990s Land Rover Discovery at 64 km/h (40 mph). The passenger compartment in the Espace was kept fairly intact, but the dummy in the Discovery was smashed between the seats and the dashboard, leaving no survival possibilities.The Espace V is estimated to arrive in 2011. It is likely to again be closely related to the Renault Laguna sharing chassis, engines, transmissions and electricals and will be presented at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
