Better Place to Market Renault Electric Cars in Israel
Electric Car
... historic milestone in the collaboration between Renault and Better Place to market an electric car that's more convenient and affordable than an ICE [internal combustion engine] car.
Israel's first electric car will come from France, according to a deal signed between Shai Agassi's Better Place and French car manufacturer Renault. Better Place will import the new Renault FluenceZE electric car beginning in 2011. The deal was signed after the Renault concept car was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week.
Better Place plans to install thousands of electric car service points around the country, on city streets, malls, and gas stations. The company has perfected a system where drivers will be able to switch empty batteries for full ones within five minutes. Better Place's batteries can be fully recharged within 8 hours at home, with drivers plugging them into an electrical outlet, and the service points will offer a"fast boost" recharge, which can get the battery up to 80% of capacity within 20 minutes.
The FluenceZE has a 70 kilowatt electric motor (equivalent to a 95 horsepower internal combustion engine) and can run for up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) on a single charge. The family-sized sedan can fit four or five adults, and will come with a four-year, 120,000 km. warranty. Purchasers will also be eligible for a credit on import taxes, according to policies approved earlier this year by the Transport Ministry.
Announcing the deal, Carlos Ghosn, Renault's president and CEO, said, "The signing of this agreement is a step forward for Renault's electric vehicle strategy. Fluence ZE will be the first Renault passenger electric vehicle, launched in 2011 in more than 20 countries worldwide. It will be an attractive and spacious electric family car that will enjoy highly competitive running costs compared to conventional vehicles.%ad%
"Since we first announced our partnership with Better Place in January 2008, the Renault and Better Place teams have worked diligently to make today's announcement a reality, giving us a two-year lead over the competition."
Agassi, founder and CEO of Better Place, said, "Today marks an historic milestone in the tremendous collaboration between Renault and Better Place to bring to market a mainstream electric car that's more convenient and affordable than an ICE [internal combustion engine] car. We commend Carlos Ghosn and the entire Renault team for having the vision and execution skills to define a new market for the auto industry with Better Place. We believe this kind of collaboration and innovation on zero-emission vehicles is the solution for turning around the auto industry and solving the harmful impact that CO2 has on our planet."
Posts
