Renault have put a price on affordable electric motoring in the UK by announcing the cost of a Fluence Z.E.
Renault have already announced the UK pricing for its Kangoo Van Z.E. and Twizy over the last few months, and now they have also confirmed the cost of the first version of the third and final model in its series of zero-emission in-road-use cars - the Fluence Z.E. - which is being billed as the UK's most affordable electric car.
The Fluence Z.E. will be a five-seat, four door saloon car, and when it hits the showrooms in 2012 it is to be priced from just £17,850 OTR. The £17,850 price tag, which includes a £5000 deduction for the UK Plug-In Car Grant which all buyers will receive, makes the Fluence Z.E. the cheapest car of its kind on the market, and even makes it cheaper than many smaller and less practical supermini vehicles. To give an example of the relative cost of this car compared to its competitors, a Mitsubishi i-Miev would set you back £23,990 - a huge £6,140 more than the Fluence Z.E.
Although the cars will not go on sale fully until 2012, you can already make a reservation online for £20. Prospective buyers who choose this option will be given priority availability and will be offered a test drive as soon as they become available.
Just like other electric vehicles, buyers of a Fluence Z.E. will also have to pay for a battery lease contract. The price of this will depend on the length of the contract and the number of miles that it covers, but will begin at £75 per month, for 6,000 miles per year for 3 years. Leasing a battery rather than buying one outright means that you do not need to worry about maintenance, and will always have a replacement if there is a problem.
This first version of the Fluence Z.E., which is called the 'Prime Time', comes with an extensive range of equipment considering the low price, which includes 16 inch alloy wheels, charging sockets on both front wings, cruise control, climate control, ecoMeter and a Carminat TomTom Live satellite navigation system.
When it comes to performance the Fluence Z.E. will have a range of up to 115 miles, depending on the road conditions and the way it is driven, and the battery will be able to produce 95bhp and 167lb-ft of instant torque.
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