Renault Takes Electric Orders

Following on from the Memorandum of Understanding on electric vehicles signed at the Frankfurt International Motor Show last September, Europcar and Renault have taken the next step, with Europcar pre-ordering 500 Renault electric vehicles for delivery in Europe’s largest cities from the third quarter of 2011.

Europcar, Renault’s principal short-term rental partner in Europe, has given substance to the partnership agreement signed with Renault at the recent Frankfurt International Motor Show to promote zero-emission mobility solutions.

Through a roll-out targeting its rental outlets in Europe’s largest cities, Europcar is set to offer its customers the new Renault Zero-Emission (Z.E.) range from 2011 in the European short-term rental market.

With electric vehicles, which produce zero emissions during use, Renault is preparing a breakthrough solution that provides sustainable mobility for all.

The four show-cars displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show - Twizy Z.E. Concept, Zoë Z.E. Concept, Fluence Z.E. Concept and Kangoo Z.E. Concept - preview the electric vehicle range that will be launched in 2011 with three models:

They will be followed in 2012 by Zoë Z.E. - a compact 4-meter 5-seater supermini. After 2012, the Z.E. range will continue to expand into all segments to meet the needs of a diverse range of customers.

"Europcar reaches a decisive point in bringing electric vehicles into the rental market; they will join the eco-friendly fleet that already features on our web sites," said Rafael Girona, Chief Operating Officer of Europcar Groupe.

"The interaction between our network and Renault’s technology will genuinely pave the way for a major advance in mobility solutions. With the addition to its fleet of the Renault Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E. models from 2011 and then Zoë Z.E. in 2012, Europcar is giving substance even more tangibly to the commitments set forth in its Charter for the Environment."

Uwe Hochgeschurtz, Senior Vice President, Renault’s Corporate Sales Division said: "Renault firmly believes that the leverage created by short-term rentals will help to drive adoption of electric vehicles by individual customers, in addition to its distribution network. As part of our vision of electric vehicles for everyone’s daily use, we are delighted to be teaming up with Europcar, a global provider of mobility solutions.

"To enable our partner to launch its range of electric vehicles at the earliest opportunity, we have now reserved 500 Zero-Emission vehicles."

(PR)