The DeZir project is the first to have been led by Laurens van den Acker and marks the start of a sequence of concept cars that will provide an insight into Renault Design’s new vision for the future.

It also lays the foundations for the styling cues of Renault’s forthcoming vehicles.

Powered by an electric motor, DeZir is proof that environmental concern and a love for cars are by no means incompatible.

DeZir is powered by an electric motor mounted in a mid-rear position to optimize weight distribution over the front and rear wheels. The vertically-mounted 24kW/h lithium-ion battery is located behind the benchseat and provides the car with a range of 160km.

Battery cooling is ensured not only by the air channelled from the front to the back of the car, but also – and above all – by the flow of air that enters through the lateral scoops concealed behind the aluminium panels on either side of the body.

The basic motor is the same as the unit used for Renault’s production electric cars, although an evolution has enabled its power and torque to be uprated to 110kW (150ch) and 226Nm respectively.

Three battery-charging methods can be employed:

-          a standard charge using a conventional household plug (fully charges the battery in eight hours).

-          a fast charge using a 400V three-phase current (charges the battery to 80 per cent of its capacity in 20 minutes).

-          a fast battery exchange thanks to Renault’s Quick Drop technology.

In order to optimise range and dynamic performance, Renault Design’s technical teams have kept DeZir’s weight to a minimum (for example, its body is made from Kevlar) and it’s aerodynamics have been carefully honed, too, thanks to full underbody fairing and a rear diffuser. The result of this work is a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.25, as well as outstanding acceleration, with DeZir capable of accelerating from rest to 100kph in five seconds, and from standstill to 50kph in just two seconds.

DeZir’s energy efficiency package also includes the recovery of deceleration energy. The technology it employs is based on the same principles as the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) seen in Formula 1. When the car decelerates, kinetic energy is recovered and stored in the battery. In the case of DeZir, this energy can then be employed by the driver to provide a temporary power boost at the moment he or she chooses, using a button located on the steering wheel.

The central touchscreen display incorporates a smart navigation system that synchronises journey information with the driver’s diary in order to optimise task management and itineraries. Software incorporated in the dashboard provides drivers with a real-time indication of their energy management ability via a fun interface that uses video-game style graphics.

The first evidence of Renault Design’s new vision for the future

Under the leadership of Laurens van den Acker, Renault’s Design Department has taken its inspiration from the brand’s new signature ‘Drive the Change!‘ and explores Renault’s styling roots to express the company’s powerful human dimension via a new strategy founded on the notion of the ‘life cycle’. Get more information about this notion on Renault.com

The public will get its first opportunity to see DeZir at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

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No worries: the electric consumption generated by the fleet of electric cars will remain very low.

Even in the most optimistic of scenarios, it should not reach more than 0.3% of the total consumption of electricity by 2020. Around that time, Europe should be able to produce 20% of renewable electricity… and we cannot wait to get there already!

False. Even if electricity was to be produced only in coal power plants (which is getting rare), driving with an electric car on one kilometer would still remain more efficient than using a traditional car.

Although the well-to-wheel emissions of greenhouse gases (expressed as equivalent CO2) can vary significantly depending on how the electricity is produced in the different countries where they are driven, electric vehicles still account for a smaller quantity of greenhouse gases than equivalent internal combustion vehicles.

Renault Z.E.’s commitment to the electric vehicle is founded on a single, underlying principle: unlike all other technologies (internal combustion engines, hybrids), electric vehicles are genuine zero-emission vehicles regarding their use on the road. They also permit a reduction in oil-dependency.

It could not be further from the truth! As explained to us by Christophe Chevreton, Business developer for Renault Z.E., “driver safety for an electric vehicle will be identical to that of drivers of standard Renault cars”.

The battery will also be tested in a variety of ways, such as the famous “nail test”, explained in this video interview we posted several weeks ago (or see below).

And for those of you who would be worried regarding the silence of electric motors, Renault has been working on sound signals to solve this issue. Drivers, just like pedestrians, will be perfectly safe!

Studies show that 87% of European drive less than 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) per day. Since the Renault Fluence Z.E. will be able to last 160 kilometers (about 100 miles) on a single charge, it will leave plenty of room to go wherever you want. Should we also add that driving an electric car will save you time?

Instead of going to a service station to fill up your gas tank, plug your car in when you get home (or at the office) and, just like your other electronics, it will be ready to go the next day. Plugging it during the night, you will also take advantage of off-peak rates. A way to save you time… and money!