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Renault has decided to produce its future zero-emission electric city car at the Flins plant in the Paris region. Zoé Z.E. Concept, presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is a forerunner of this new vehicle.
Renault has chosen Flins to produce this future electric vehicle (EV) owing to the plant’s expertise and performance. The site was selected because it is specialized in the production of B segment cars (Clio Campus and New Clio). The Flins choice is also based on Renault’s objective to produce cars as close as possible to the markets in which they will be sold, namely Europe, to optimize logistics flows. The Flins site will thus become a central hub in Renault’s EV activity, producing the company’s core-range electric model as well as manufacturing and recycling batteries.
Flins will begin production in 2012. The urban, versatile model is expected to account for two-thirds of the Group’s EV sales in Europe.
France will be at the center of Renault’s zero-emission strategy. The Group is currently developing future EVs at the Technocentre in Guyancourt, will produce its first zero-emission city car at Flins, and has signed a letter of intent with Nissan, the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and France’s Strategic Investment Fund (FSI) to set up a French joint venture focused on EV battery advanced research, industrialization and recycling.
Renault states that they are fully aware of the issues involved in sustainable mobility and the company has decided to mass market a complete range of affordable zero-emission electric vehicles starting in 2011.
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