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RENAULT and Better Place say the Fluence Z.E. will be landing in Australia come 2012, the first mass-market, zero-emission car with a switchable battery.
Better Place and Renault will jointly market the Fluence Z.E. Better Place will provide a charge network for the electric vehicles, where owners can swap out batteries to quickly “refuel” their cars.
This overcomes one of the main limitations of electric vehicles, which has thus far been the very limited range and the amount of time it takes to recharge the batteries. Thus, the Fluence Z.E. with the Better Place network would provide Australian drivers with the same freedom of a petrol car, but with zero oil and zero emissions.
Under the agreement, Renault Australia will import the Fluence Z.E. and Better Place will provide the electric car charging network. Customers will buy the Fluence Z.E. from Renault and sign up for a Better Place membership package tailored for their driving needs.
The Better Place subscription provides unlimited access to batteries, the network of public charge spots and battery switch stations, and personal charge spots at home or work.
The membership also includes supply of 100% renewable electricity, personalised energy management and navigation services via in-car and network software and 24-hour access to customer service and support.
The membership with Better Place eliminates the need to buy a battery, increasing the affordability of the Fluence Z.E. In addition, the fixed membership frees drivers from the volatile petrol prices.
The Renault Fluence Z.E. is a 100 per cent electric, five seat family car. The car will offer Australian drivers a range of 185 kilometres on a single battery. The “fill-up” process at Better Place battery switch stations is fully automated and said to take less time than it takes to fill up with petrol.
Better Place has announced its plans to begin rolling out its electric car charging network in Canberra from later this year, with a progressive national rollout to follow. By 2013 Better Place says it will give Australia the largest electric car charge network in the world.