Renault ZOE claims 24-hr 1000 miles distance record for a production EV B

With the age of production electric vehicles still in its relative infancy, it’s not surprising to see new records being claimed on a fairly regular basis. The latest company putting its EV on the world record podium is Renault, which is claiming the world record for the longest distance traveled in 24 hours by a production EV.

The record-breaking drive took place on June 1, 2012, on the speed ring at the Aubevoye technical centre (CTA) in Normandy with two of the French automaker’s ZOE electric vehicles setting out at 4:00 pm local time. Over the next 24 hours, fifteen drivers took turns at the respective wheels, recharging the vehicles as necessary.

http://www.gizmag.com/renault-zoe-ev-distance-record/22943/






Renault is supporting the vehicle's launch by also making fast-charging stations available that are priced at less than EUR3,000 (about US$4,000) each - up to four times cheaper than other solutions. The new charging stations are currently being previewed at Renault's Geneva stand.

The ZOE was designed at the Renault Technocentre in the municipal district of Guyancourt and is being manufactured at the company's Flins factory on the outskirts of Paris, both in France of course. The vehicle features a 65kW/88hp synchronous electric motor with rotor coil that delivers 220Nm of torque, and offers gearshift-free acceleration to a top speed of 135 km/h (83 mph). From next year, the electric motor for the ZOE will be made at the company's Cléon factory.

The ZOE also represents a first time outing for the Renault R-Link multimedia system, featuring a 7-inch touch screen tablet-like display, steering wheel-mounted controls, speech recognition, GPS navigation, and connected services from motoring services and Renault's app store. Users will have access to over 50 apps at launch that will, for example, allow a smartphone or computer to remotely access information about ZOE's charge status, and activate an immediate or delayed cabin pre-conditioning system.

It doesn't have the pretty blue butterflies of Ford's Focus Electric, but the navigation system will inform the driver of the locations of nearby charging points, and there'll also be specific EV information available such as histogram of energy consumption, display of energy flows and preprogramming of battery charging.

Safety features include driver and front passenger airbags (with the latter capable of being deactivated), three-point safety belts, ISOFIX child seat fixing points, and a pedestrian warning system named ZOE Voice. This system is active between 1 and 30 km/h (up to 18 mph) and will alert those nearby of the car's presence in a choice of three different alarm sounds. The driver can also choose to disable the system altogether. There's a rear parking sensor with rear view parking camera, and the ZOE's activated charcoal cabin air filter promises to keep the air inside the car free of pollutants like pollen, as well as trap bad smells.

The Renault ZOE will be available in three versions. The cost of each varies from country to country, but the ZOE Life model is priced at EUR15,700 ($20,822) in France (with the relative eco-bonus already taken off), GBP13,650 ($21,594) in the UK and EUR20,600 ($27,320) in Germany.

The Zen version includes a soft-feel dashboard, a scent diffuser, ionizer and toxicity sensor, in addition to easy-clean Teflon upholstery, and is listed at EUR17,500 in France (again with eco-bonus already taken off), GBP14,750 ($23,334) in the UK and EUR22,400 ($29,707) in Germany. The Intens model is priced the same as the ZOE Zen. In each case, owners will have to pay Renault a monthly battery hire charge.

http://www.gizmag.com/renault-zoe-electric-car-geneva-premiere/21755/