Photo: mobile.de
I think we are doing this EV stuff all wrong. I'm not the type of guy who crunches numbers and tells you the Prius is more dangerous for the environment than a thousand cows' butts, but buying the latest and greatest Tesla every year and taking it drag racing probably isn't good.
I mean, tree hugging is about recycling, wearing your grandpa's jumpers and never using plastic bags. Making due with what you've got is an important lesson, and there's a way to have zero tailpipe emissions very cheaply, at least in Europe.
After a quick search online, we found that the average price of a decent second-hand Nissan Leaf is about €11,000 or more. It's the oldest cheap EV in Europe, so you can't do better, right? Wrong.
We found a dozen or so Renault Fluence ZE sedans, all selling for around €7,000. That's cheaper even than a used Golf 6 in decent condition, which is frankly ridiculous. I know there are cheaper fiberglass EVs, but nothing you can call a "real car."
Of course, there's a reason for the affordability, the Fluence ZE being a crap car in many areas. But as a family car, it's brilliant, boasting an enormous rear bench and a decent trunk. In the front, it feels just like a regular Megane III dash, which means plenty of soft-touch materials with a timeless look.
The Fluence gets the same electric motor as the Nissan Leaf of its era; only it's been de-tuned slightly to 68 horsepower. 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes about 13-14 seconds, and the top speed is good enough to get you a speeding ticket. It's not as bad as the numbers suggest!
Compared to a normal Fluence, it's about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) heavier thanks to the battery, but the suspension is pretty soft. And like the Zoe that I drove, there is almost no noise at all. The only real downside is range anxiety, as the real range is somewhere around 100 kilometers.
But if you need a car that will get you to work and back in a way that's considerate of the environment, you might want to look into a cheap Fluence ZE. Hopefully, this mobile link is as permanent as we think it is.
After a quick search online, we found that the average price of a decent second-hand Nissan Leaf is about €11,000 or more. It's the oldest cheap EV in Europe, so you can't do better, right? Wrong.
We found a dozen or so Renault Fluence ZE sedans, all selling for around €7,000. That's cheaper even than a used Golf 6 in decent condition, which is frankly ridiculous. I know there are cheaper fiberglass EVs, but nothing you can call a "real car."
Of course, there's a reason for the affordability, the Fluence ZE being a crap car in many areas. But as a family car, it's brilliant, boasting an enormous rear bench and a decent trunk. In the front, it feels just like a regular Megane III dash, which means plenty of soft-touch materials with a timeless look.
The Fluence gets the same electric motor as the Nissan Leaf of its era; only it's been de-tuned slightly to 68 horsepower. 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes about 13-14 seconds, and the top speed is good enough to get you a speeding ticket. It's not as bad as the numbers suggest!
Compared to a normal Fluence, it's about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) heavier thanks to the battery, but the suspension is pretty soft. And like the Zoe that I drove, there is almost no noise at all. The only real downside is range anxiety, as the real range is somewhere around 100 kilometers.
But if you need a car that will get you to work and back in a way that's considerate of the environment, you might want to look into a cheap Fluence ZE. Hopefully, this mobile link is as permanent as we think it is.
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