Sunday, August 22, 2010

Just the Facts


Renault's July 2010 press release is full of information. Some of it I hadn't come across before.

Kangoo Z.E. van planned to go on sale in the 2nd half of 2011. Reading between the lines it looks like July 2011.

The vehicle and the battery will belong to different owners. I can buy or finance the van. The batteries are available by a subscription service. That means Renault keeps ownership of the batteries. The subscription covers renting the batteries and access to mobility services. Mobility services almost certainly mean quick charging and/or battery exchange. Mobility services will be of little use to me as I live in a semi-rural region. I can hope that the battery subscription will be flexible. I also hope that Renault will continue to provide battery subscriptions over the useful life of the van.

Total Cost of Ownership similar to internal combustion vehicle. Wow. That would require prices significantly lower that what is out there now. A diesel powered Kangoo is around £12,000. Fuel and tax savings on an electric van are a few hundred pounds a year. Is Renault really going to be able to sell me one for less than 15 grand? Or is that after tax breaks or grants that I'm not eligible for. Stay tuned.

Lots of good info on the battery pack. Too much to talk about in this post. More later

Kangoo Express is intended for fleet use. Sigh. Will I be able to get one for personal use? Will it be unaffordable for personal use? Will I be able to order one with the options I want?

Specs are much the same as the diesel Kangoo. Same size, same cargo capacity, same van. Gotta stop in at my local Renault dealer and have a look at the diesel van.


Photos. Renault was kind enough to put up a few photos of the production prototype. Here's a shot of the interior. As always, click for a larger view.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I'm number 30!

A few days after I put in my pre-reservation request, I recieved an automated e-mail back from Renault. The grammar wasn't great but I'm number 30 on the waiting list. With the van targeted at fleet customers, I'm not sure how many vehicles back that puts my spot. Or if they will even sell one to me.



Stay tuned. I just got my hands on the press release for the Kangoo Z.E. I'll be blogging again after I've had a chance to read over it.