1st into the water is croc-food, the last across gets poor grazing
http://www.forfardispatch.co.uk/motors/reviews/current-thinking-1-2657127 CURRENT THINKING 2 August 2013 [video flash image http://f2.caranddriving.com/images/new/large/RenaultFluenceZEDynamique0212(2).jpg?statme=1&ws=A041&d=08020142&id=jpress Renault Fluence Z.E. ] Ten Second Review The Renault Fluence Z.E. might not convince electric vehicle doubters with its 115 mile range, but the asking price looks reasonable, the vehicle itself spacious and practical and if you have access to a home charging point and a regular, modest commute it could well fit your lifestyle very smartly. Background Bringing an electric vehicle to market rather reminds me of a herd of wildebeest queuing up to cross the Mara River as part of their annual migration. The river has to be crossed, but the first into the water runs the biggest chance of becoming croc food while the last will find the prime grazing depleted. There's a logic process at work here and it rewards the second wave of products. Renault is confident that it's at the vanguard of this more mature second wave with its Fluence Z.E. We've seen electric quadricycles and converted Japanese citycars but now the time is right for big manufacturers such as Nissan with its LEAF and sister company Renault with a whole slew of products. There's this Fluence saloon, the Kangoo van, the Zoe coupe and the Twizy lightweight citycar all powered by batteries. It's down to you to decide whether this product offensive has the requisite legs. Of the four, the Fluence might well face the toughest task. Driving Experience Yes, there is a conventionally powered Fluence model, but this Z.E. model is stretched slightly to accommodate the 250 kilo lithium-ion battery that sits behind the rear seats. Generating the equivalent of 94bhp, the electric motor also manages a respectable 226Nm of torque deployed via a single-speed gearbox. That means driving is simplicity itself and, with a claimed 0-62mph time of 13.7sec and 84mph maximum, performance falls just the right side of adequate. There's no transmission whine, just a rather eerie silence as you pull away. That's if you're suitably smooth with the throttle. Really go for a gap from standstill and the electric motor has more than enough torque to spin up the front wheels. The battery regeneration is quite strong when you roll off the throttle, the car feeling a little 'gluey' when decelerating but you'll save the brakes in the process. Just be aware that this deceleration with no brake lights showing can give following drivers a rude awakening. Handling is as good as you'd imagine for a car with such a low centre of gravity and kerb weight has been limited to a sensible 1453kg. Renault claims a range of 115 miles from the batteries but this is based on the rather optimistic NEDC statistics. Bank on seeing three quarters of that and you shouldn't be disappointed. They can be recharged in around six to eight hours from a domestic power supply or, if you have access to a three-phase fast-charge supply, in thirty minutes. Design and Build If the technology is something to get excited about, the styling most definitely isn't. The Fluence is blandly handsome in a generic way, as if Renault took every mid-range saloon car design, fed them into a piece of software and asked for an average to be output. Of course, there will be those who see this as a plus, who are fed up with gimpy-looking electric vehicles and yearn for something a little less smug. In this regard, the Fluence Z.E. is a decidedly mature design and another indicator that the electric vehicle has progressed. The interior is very well built with soft-touch plastics everywhere and some of the most comfortable seats to grace a mid-ranger. The trio of chrome-ringed dials in the instrument binnacle don't do a lot to dispel range anxiety, constantly reminding you how much juice you have until you zither to a halt. The tick-tock indicators are also a bit excitable. It's hard to complain about the amount of space inside, with rear seat passengers getting a decent amount of head and leg room. The 317 litres of space in the boot also enhances the Fluence's versatility. Market and Model We tried the Dynamique version which costs around £900 more than the entry-level Fluence Z.E 'Expression+', a car which is priced around the £17,500 mark after the £5,000 UK Plug-In Car Grant has been deducted. For this kind of money, the Fluence Z.E. makes some recently-launched electric cars look hopelessly optimistic in their pricing. Of course, there is also the small matter of a £75 per month battery leasing fee to factor into your calculations of whether the Fluence offers good value or not. All Fluence Z.E. variants come complete with automatic dual zone air conditioning, auto headlamps and wipers, a decent quality four-speaker MP3-compatible CD stereo with fingertip controls, power folding mirrors and an intelligent Carminat TomTom LIVE satellite navigation system that displays your driving range and can navigate you to your nearest charging point. It can also display road safety alerts and five-day weather forecasts, plus has a Google local search function. In this Dynamique variant, you get niceties like rear parking sensors, alloy wheels, front foglights, Bluetooth compatibility for your mobile 'phone and the option of supple leather upholstery. Cost of Ownership Here we get to the real nub of whether the Fluence represents a cost-effective alternative to a diesel family saloon or hatch. To charge from home will cost around £3.00 per charge but the leasing deal on the battery is based on just 6,000 miles per year which equates to a round trip commute of 23 miles per day for three years. That means you're locked into paying £2,700 whether you use the car or not. Given that this buys you 18,000 miles of motoring (plus electricity bills) the Fluence is about as economical in real terms as a good turbodiesel. Studies have shown that the upstream emissions of the Fluence (based on fossil-fuel generators) also equate very closely to those of a diesel car. Where the Fluence Z.E. scores a knockout blow is if you need to travel into congestion zones. London offers 100% exemption while Westminster council offers four hours free parking and a number of charging points. Renault still hasn't fully got round the issue that most urban drivers have to leave their cars parked on the street and so have no practical way of recharging from a home power point. Summary The Renault Fluence Z.E. offers an intriguing glimpse to the future and is decently equipped in the Dynamique form we've been trying here. We have already seen a huge step forward in electric vehicle feasibility and advances in battery technology and the ongoing decarbonisation of power generating facilities will only make these vehicles more attractive from an ecological viewpoint. That's all very well, but does the Fluence work in the here and now? For a small cross section of buyers it will. If you live in a suburban area and commute by car into the city it offers a number of benefits, although you'll need to salve your conscience over whether in this scenario you should really be using public transport. For the majority of potential buyers, the limited range and worry about running out of battery charge are caveats that outweigh the benefits of an electric vehicle. The Fluence Z.E. represents several steps in the right direction but widespread acceptance of vehicles of this ilk remains still some way off. [© Johnston Publishing] ... http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/fluence-ze/product.aspx Renault Fluence Z.E. | Renault UK For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date Here are today's archive-only EV posts: EVLN: HITECA ceramic capacitors to improve electric vehicles EVLN: Beijing Auto E-Series EV for China market in 2014 ts:125kph EVLN: Leaf Tips for Hot Weather Long-Distance UK Trips EVLN: NTN Fujinokuni EV, Ultra-small 2-Seat In-wheel Motors EVLN: "We've taught people to be very concerned about range" + EVLN: Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, autoweek.com review (video) {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Fluence-EV-marketing-wildebeest-migration-river-crossing-video-tp4664634.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
