Photo: Renault
Remember how Renault was telling is electric mobility is the way of the future and how their 200,000 of their EVs will be sold every year by 2016. That doesn't seem to be happening, as the French carmaker's plan has hit a major snag.
The Fluence ZE has officially stopped being made at the company's factory in Turkey, due to slow demand and the fact that Israeli partner Better Place declared itself bankrupt in May. The French company invested heavily into the project which now sounds like a really bad idea.
As part of dealing with range anxiety and lack of mobility, Renault proposed a battery swapping scheme. But just like the case on the iPhone is screwed tight, people might not like having people mess with their cars just so they could drive them a little longer.
There's also a problem with the car itself. Without bespoke bodywork, the Fluence ZE looks like just another ordinary sedan and thus doesn't make a statement like the Nissan Leaf does.
The demise of the Fluence ZE is likely the last we'll hear of battery swapping. Creating a network of storage facilities for fully charged batteries is like using AA batteries for cellphones instead of developing better chargers and more frugal systems.
The fact that Renault could only sell 3500 of these electric sedan might also indicate pure electric mobility is not what customers actually want. Running costs are only marginally better than eco-diesel. Recent projects from Toyota and Volkswagen group seem to indicate plug-in hybrids are are far more desirable solution.
As part of dealing with range anxiety and lack of mobility, Renault proposed a battery swapping scheme. But just like the case on the iPhone is screwed tight, people might not like having people mess with their cars just so they could drive them a little longer.
There's also a problem with the car itself. Without bespoke bodywork, the Fluence ZE looks like just another ordinary sedan and thus doesn't make a statement like the Nissan Leaf does.
The demise of the Fluence ZE is likely the last we'll hear of battery swapping. Creating a network of storage facilities for fully charged batteries is like using AA batteries for cellphones instead of developing better chargers and more frugal systems.
The fact that Renault could only sell 3500 of these electric sedan might also indicate pure electric mobility is not what customers actually want. Running costs are only marginally better than eco-diesel. Recent projects from Toyota and Volkswagen group seem to indicate plug-in hybrids are are far more desirable solution.
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