Renault-Nissan, Project Better Place Announce First Electric Vehicle Mass Market

C.RICKEY HIROSE · 01-23-2008, 08:15 PM

Tokyo, Jan 21, 2008 (JCN) - Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place have announced a significant move towards reducing CO2 car emissions as well as particles pollution with an MOU signed today in Jerusalem for first application on Israeli market.

For the first time in history, all the conditions necessary for electric vehicles to be successfully mass-marketed will be brought together in a partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place in Israel.

The solution framework comes in response to the Israeli State's challenge to the auto industry and its supply chain to migrate the country's transportation infrastructure to renewable sources of energy.

The Israeli government would provide tax incentives to customers, Renault would supply the electric vehicles, and Project Better Place would construct and operate an Electric Recharge Grid across the entire country.

Renault's vehicles, available for customers in 2011, will run on pure electricity for all functions. The objective of zero emissions will be achieved, while at the same time offering driving performances similar to a 1.6 liter gasoline engine. Renault's electric vehicles will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries, ensuring greater driving range and longevity.

For the first time in the electric vehicle business, ownership of the car is separated from the requirement to own a battery. Consumers will buy and own their car and subscribe to energy, including the use of the battery, on a basis of kilometers driven. This model is similar to the way mobile phones are sold, with an initial purchase and a monthly subscription for the mobility service.

The Israeli government recently extended a tax incentive on the purchase of any zero-emissions vehicle until 2019, making them more affordable. Combined with the lower cost of electricity as opposed to fuel-based energy, and the vehicle's lifetime guarantee, the total cost of ownership for the customer will be significantly lower than that of a fuel-based car over the life cycle of the vehicle.

California-based Project Better Place plans to deploy a massive network of battery charging spots. Driving range will no longer be an obstacle, because customers will be able to plug their cars into charging units in any of the 500,000 charging spots in Israel. An on-board computer system will indicate to the driver the remaining power supply and the nearest charging spot.

Nissan, through its joint venture with NEC, has created a battery pack that meets the requirements of the electric vehicle and will mass-produce it. Renault is working on development of exchangeable batteries for continuous mobility. The entire framework will go through a series of tests starting this year.

In Israel, where 90% of car owners drive less than 70 kilometers per day, and all major urban centers are less than 150 kilometers apart, electric vehicles would be the ideal means of transportation and could therefore cover most of the population's transportation needs.

Project Better Place is a venture-backed company that aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation of a market-based transportation infrastructure that supports electric vehicles, providing consumers with a cleaner, sustainable, personal transportation alternative. Launched in October 2007, Project Better Place will build its first pilot Electric Recharge Grid in Israel and plans to deploy the infrastructure on a country-by-country basis with initial deployments beginning in 2010.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance, created in 1999, is the fourth largest automotive group in the world by sales volume with 6,100,000 vehicles sold in 2007.

By Chris Lui Staff Writer
Copyright © 2008 JCN. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network KK.

AussieOwner · 01-24-2008, 04:57 AM

Wow!!

Now this sounds like a real push to make EVs more that an oddity. What a great announcement. It will still be some time before it happens, but at least there is now one government in the world that is attacking the issues of burning fossil fuels just to move individuals around.

Now if they could only get the Japanese automakers to embrace this incentive and make their cheap cars to work under this system, then we would have a real leap forward.

patsparks · 01-24-2008, 08:20 AM

The biggest price is, to participate you have to drive a Renault.

C.RICKEY HIROSE · 01-24-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patsparks

The biggest price is, to participate you have to drive a Renault.

No, pretend to be driving a Nissan! I'm certain all the tech is coming from Nissan's engineering might..

01-23-2008, 08:15 PM	#1
C.RICKEY HIROSE Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: S.F. BAY AREA CALIFORNIA Posts: 157 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Renault-Nissan, Project Better Place Announce First Electric Vehicle Mass Market Tokyo, Jan 21, 2008 (JCN) - Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place have announced a significant move towards reducing CO2 car emissions as well as particles pollution with an MOU signed today in Jerusalem for first application on Israeli market. For the first time in history, all the conditions necessary for electric vehicles to be successfully mass-marketed will be brought together in a partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place in Israel. The solution framework comes in response to the Israeli State's challenge to the auto industry and its supply chain to migrate the country's transportation infrastructure to renewable sources of energy. The Israeli government would provide tax incentives to customers, Renault would supply the electric vehicles, and Project Better Place would construct and operate an Electric Recharge Grid across the entire country. Renault's vehicles, available for customers in 2011, will run on pure electricity for all functions. The objective of zero emissions will be achieved, while at the same time offering driving performances similar to a 1.6 liter gasoline engine. Renault's electric vehicles will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries, ensuring greater driving range and longevity. For the first time in the electric vehicle business, ownership of the car is separated from the requirement to own a battery. Consumers will buy and own their car and subscribe to energy, including the use of the battery, on a basis of kilometers driven. This model is similar to the way mobile phones are sold, with an initial purchase and a monthly subscription for the mobility service. The Israeli government recently extended a tax incentive on the purchase of any zero-emissions vehicle until 2019, making them more affordable. Combined with the lower cost of electricity as opposed to fuel-based energy, and the vehicle's lifetime guarantee, the total cost of ownership for the customer will be significantly lower than that of a fuel-based car over the life cycle of the vehicle. California-based Project Better Place plans to deploy a massive network of battery charging spots. Driving range will no longer be an obstacle, because customers will be able to plug their cars into charging units in any of the 500,000 charging spots in Israel. An on-board computer system will indicate to the driver the remaining power supply and the nearest charging spot. Nissan, through its joint venture with NEC, has created a battery pack that meets the requirements of the electric vehicle and will mass-produce it. Renault is working on development of exchangeable batteries for continuous mobility. The entire framework will go through a series of tests starting this year. In Israel, where 90% of car owners drive less than 70 kilometers per day, and all major urban centers are less than 150 kilometers apart, electric vehicles would be the ideal means of transportation and could therefore cover most of the population's transportation needs. Project Better Place is a venture-backed company that aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation of a market-based transportation infrastructure that supports electric vehicles, providing consumers with a cleaner, sustainable, personal transportation alternative. Launched in October 2007, Project Better Place will build its first pilot Electric Recharge Grid in Israel and plans to deploy the infrastructure on a country-by-country basis with initial deployments beginning in 2010. The Renault-Nissan Alliance, created in 1999, is the fourth largest automotive group in the world by sales volume with 6,100,000 vehicles sold in 2007. By Chris Lui Staff Writer Copyright © 2008 JCN. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network KK. __________________ Toyota Hybrid Vehicles, To make the World a better place to live for present and next generations to come. HSD, Hybrids for this planet called, the Green Earth ! __________________________________________ ****Email: hirose@toyotavehicle.com******** C.Rickey Hirose, The Toyota Hybrid vehicle's Ambassador. (925) 699-6450 Cell

01-24-2008, 04:57 AM	#2
AussieOwner Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 209 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: Base Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: Renault-Nissan, Project Better Place Announce First Electric Vehicle Mass Market Wow!! Now this sounds like a real push to make EVs more that an oddity. What a great announcement. It will still be some time before it happens, but at least there is now one government in the world that is attacking the issues of burning fossil fuels just to move individuals around. Now if they could only get the Japanese automakers to embrace this incentive and make their cheap cars to work under this system, then we would have a real leap forward.

01-24-2008, 08:20 AM	#3
patsparks Uneducated bird-brain Aussie Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Adelaide South Australia Posts: 4,306 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: Base Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 10	Re: Renault-Nissan, Project Better Place Announce First Electric Vehicle Mass Market The biggest price is, to participate you have to drive a Renault.