Nissan was one of the three recipients in the first round of low interest loans through the U.S. Department of Energy's ATVM program along with Ford and Tesla. Nissan will be getting $1.6 billion from the program that will be used to re-tool part of its Smyrna, Tennessee factory to build electric cars and lithium ion batteries. Out of that amount, apparently over $1 billion will be needed just for the battery production capacity. The battery plant will consist of three production modules each of which is capable of producing 54,000 batteries.

The U.S. battery plant joins a Japanese facility that is starting up in 2010. In addition to these facilities, Nissan and French partner Renault will be building electric cars in Europe beginning in 2011. Because battery packs are heavy, it makes sense to build the packs close to where they will be installed in vehicles. As Renault-Nissan expand production, the alliance is also considering adding as many as four battery plants on the continent. No specific commitments have yet been made for locations yet.


Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Reuters, Automotive News - sub. req'd]

It's another day, so that must mean we have another electric vehicle-related announcement from Renault. This time around, the Renault-Nissan alliance is taking the next step in its partnership with French electric utility EDF. In September of 2010, 100-battery powered vehicles produced by the French and Japanese automakers will be put into service in field test around Paris. The automakers will use the test as something of a final real world evaluation of the passenger and commercial electric vehicles it plans to launch in 2011. EDF and various local authorities will be installing a charging infrastructure at parking areas, along highways and at workplaces. Renault-Nissan plans to quickly ramp up production of electric vehicles in Japan, Europe and also the U.S. in the next several years. Electric versions of the Kangoo, Megane and a dedicated EV based on the car to be produced by Nissan are all on tap.


[Source: Renault]

The widespread electric vehicle work done by the Renault-Nissan Alliance will make its way to the Netherlands soon now that the Dutch government has requested the Alliance join the government in its attempt to use electric vehicles to reduce CO₂ emissions in the country. Renault-Nissan says that they, "will fill the roles of front-runner and development partner in the introduction of electric vehicles to the Netherlands." The alliance now has "nearly 30 agreements worldwide" with partners like local and state governments that will help it launch its first electric vehicle next year. Vehicle and charging testing is happening with municipalities and the like around the world, while two fleet companies are helping Renault-Nissan determine pricing and costs.


Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Renault-Nissan Alliance]

If you count yourself as a fan of the shortened Kangoo that will become the be bod Z.E., Renault's first widely available electric vehicle, this post is for you. On the other side of the jump you'll find three videos that show the car in motion, the interior and undergoing the recharging process. That last video shows the three options that owners of the Renault EV will be able to choose from to recharge their batteries: a regular slow charge at home (takes 6 hours), fast charging (30 minutes) or battery swap (3 minutes). The swapping video is quite similar to what Better Place showed us in this video.


[Source: Renault via YouTube]

With Renault reportedly bringing three new electric vehicles to the Frankfort Motor Show this fall and the company's regular announcements of EV partnerships, word of two new deals - one with Arval and the other with ALD Automotive - isn't exactly a surprise. Still, this shows, once again, the strong commitment that Renault and alliance partner Nissan have in EVs ready for prime time.

The deals will help Renault get its vehicles into fleets and customer hands. ALD manages about 786,000 vehicles in 39 countries, many in Europe. Arval, a BNP Paribas subsidiary, leases vehicles (about 602,000 vehicles) and manages corporate fleets (made up of 688,000 vehicles) in 22 countries. Arval will help Renault figure out ways to lease EVs while ALD will offer its knowledge on how to price the electric vehicles. Read more about the Arval (PDF) and ALD Automotive (PDF) deals at the links.


[Source: Renault via Green Car Congress]

Renault is planning to release its first production electric vehicles in early 2011, but drivers around Europe will soon get a chance to try out electric "motoring" with the be bop Z.E. Renault showed off a concept electric version of the Kangoo be bop last fall at the Paris Motor Show. The green glass and some of the other concept-only bits have now been discarded for a more conventional running prototype. Come 2011, production electric versions of the Kangoo and the Megane will go on sale in Europe and Israel (as part of the Better Place program). Renault is also planning an electric city car and a variant of Nissan's dedicated EV for 2012.

The Be Bop ZE uses a 60 hp electric motor and a 15 kWh lithium ion battery pack that currently provides a 60-mile range. The range is expected to be increased to 100 miles when the production version arrives. Prototypes of the production version should be available for test drives in mid-2010. The current prototypes don't feature swappable batteries, but Renault will offer that option, at least in the Megane for the Israeli market. The Renault press release is after the jump.


[Source: Renault]

Late last week, the Internet rumormill was abuzz with reports that Renault would bring a trio of electric vehicles to the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. Might one of those zero-emission automobiles be the Twingo ZE? According to Auto Express in the UK, a clay model for an all-electric Renault Twingo was spotted by French journalists from Auto Plus, and it will reportedly hit the market next year £13,000 plus a lease for the battery.

If there's any truth to this particular rumor, the three-seat Twingo ZE will be powered by a 59-horsepower electric motor that's capable of pushing the car to 60 miles per hour in around 10 seconds and up to a top speed of 80 mph. Regenerative braking will be included in the package, which helps push maximum range to around 100 miles.

Of course, the car will be equipped with a plug that allows the car to be recharged from home, though we're not sure about the four-hour time that's being reported. Further, Renault dealerships would be equipped with battery swapping capabilities, probably using the Better Place technology.


[Source: Auto Express]

A few French media outlets are toying with the possibility that Renault could build a microcar to compete with the smart fortwo, the Toyota IQ or even the upcoming Volkwagen Up! The idea would be to use a shortened version of the current Twingo, currently being produced in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, to keep costs down. Renault did hint not that long ago that it might also make a spider version of the Twingo. We suggest also that they throw in one of their upcoming electric powertrains as well. Making the car in Slovenia could rub the French government the wrong way, thoug. The government was thinking of giving €3 billion to the automaker, but only as long as they keep jobs in France.


[Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)]

The Formula One circus has landed in Bahrain this weekend and the controversies surrounding kinetic energy recovery systems are continuing. Four of ten teams are apparently using KERS this week including BMW, Ferrari, McLaren and Renault. Renault team boss Flavio Briatore remains unconvinced of the effectiveness of the systems, particularly given the development cost. Briatore actually wants the FIA, which governs the sport, to ban the systems beginning next year.

The team has already cut spending including reducing the salaries of much of the staff. Briatore himself has taken a twenty percent pay cut. The F1 teams are currently discussing capping budgets and even the biggest teams - e.g., Toyota, McLaren Mercedes and Renault - are suffering.

For this first year, the use of KERS is limited and the FIA had been planning to expand its use starting in 2010. However, making KERS more useful requires a lot of testing, something that is becoming more difficult with current budget and testing restrictions.

[Source: F1-Live]

The Renault-Nissan alliance's plans for world domination with electric vehicles takes another step forward today with the announcement of an agreement with LeasePlan. The Dutch leasing and fleet management company will be working with the automakers to bring electric vehicles to fleet customers. LeasePlan has operations in 30 countries and manages nearly one and a half million vehicles. The leasing company already works with its clients to reduce CO₂ emissions from vehicles in the fleets it manages and a tie up with Renault Nissan would probably be beneficial to plans for rolling out electric vehicles over the next several years. The Renault press release is after the jump.

[Source: Renault]