Ellen MacArthur, who drives an old generation Renault electric car, told the team how much the new kind of electric vehicles they work on mean to her: “Supporting a range of cars which have made continuous improvements in all areas from the manufacturing process, inclusion of recycled materials and obviously lower carbon emissions but which are also economical makes sense to me. I am passionate about trying to encourage my team and the wider public to lead more sustainable lives which means using as few natural resources as we can to help safeguard the future of our planet.”

We couldn’t agree more! So for those of you who think the same way, remember it is now just a matter of months before we can enjoy the Renault ZE electric revolution!

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and EDF, supported by the Ile de France region and the Yvelines General Council, are proud to be able to carry out this full-scale experiment in collaboration with Schneider Electric, Better Place and a variety of other partners. Approximately one hundred Renault and Nissan electric vehicles (saloons and light commercial vehicles) will be tested out by individual customers and professionals. Users will be provided with charging infrastructure at home and the workplace, as well as in car parks and on public roads.

We hope they realize how lucky they are, as they will keep testing the Renault ZE cars until July 2012! For the rest of us, it means one thing: the opportunity to drive electric cars will soon be ours too!

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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Renault also invited bloggers from different European countries to visit Renault’s factory in Maubeuge, France. They give you their insights on the factory’s car production line and its environmental strategy, in this eighth edition of the “Zero Emission Magazine”!

Zero Emission Video Magazine n°8: Renault Z.E. is all ears!

A big thanks to our partner sustainable-mobility.org for this video.

Available for PC, Mac and Iphone, the Renault ZE application will soon become the must-have widget for any ZE Driver!

So no need to wait any longer: join the electric revolution now and download your Renault ZE application!