The future is electric
Dublin People 27 Nov 2011ONE in 10 vehicles sold by Renault Ireland in 2012
will be electric according to the company.
The bold prediction was made at the Irish launch of
the new Renault Kangoo ZE (Zero Emission).
Renault Ireland’s managing director, Eric Basset, has
set a challenge for his dealer network and team that will see 1,000 Renault
electric vehicles sold by the manufacturer in Ireland next year.
The Renault boss, who has overseen the marque’s market
share double since his arrival in Ireland in 2009, is confident that one in ten
Renault vehicles sold in 2012 will be electric.
He has also stood by his company’s commitment to make
electric vehicles affordable to all and claims Ireland is leading the way in
Europe for infrastructure and availability of electric vehicles.
“Renault’s Irish team is the best trained network in
electric vehicles in all of Europe following extended training over the past
year in technology, after sales, and customer care,
? he said.
“We have committed fully to the arrival of our range
of ZE vehicles in Ireland, and recently employed eight ambassadors who are each
fully dedicated experts in electric vehicles.
“Our strategy from day one was to make electric
vehicles affordable to all and we are standing by this by bringing in our range
at prices that cannot be matched by our competitors.
“Ireland is ready for electric. It’s not our future,
it’s the present, and Renault Ireland is ready to sell affordable electric
vehicles to suit all lifestyles.
?
Renault launched its electric vehicle offensive in
2008 with the announcement of a comprehensive, line-up of four electric models,
the first of which arrived on Irish roads earlier this month.
The Renault Kangoo ZE, the first electric vehicle
offering from Renault, is now available to test drive at dealerships all over
the country priced from
?¬16,400 (incl VRT ex VAT) and including the Government
grant of
?¬3,800.
The electric mini van has already seen a huge interest
in France where 15,000 Kangoo ZEs have already been ordered by some of France’s
largest companies including La Poste, the French postal service.
Renault range of electric vehicles includes the Kangoo
ZE mini van, the Fluence ZE Saloon, the Twizy urban quadricycle and stylish
compact hatch the ZOE. All are due to appear on Irish roads in 2012.
The Kangoo ZE battery will cost
?¬75 ex VAT per month
to lease (based on 48 months, 15,000 KM per year). The Kangoo will be available
in three sizes including the Kangoo Maxi ZE two seat and five seat models. It
comes with five years unlimited mileage warranty as standard.
The Renault Fluence ZE will launch in Ireland next
March with pre launch test drives available from January. Cost for the
pre-launch model is
?¬21,620 including VAT and the Government incentive of
?¬5,000.
Related News
