Renault's EV Website

their ads do as much to raise excitement as do prius ads ... ho hum.
compare the Fiat 500e EV ads ... just a day or so ago ... this is attached to the email list I'm on:



it makes one say, "oh yeah"

on the other hand the Renault page is just facts ... facts don't sell.
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Renault really aren't selling electric cars here, well other than the Twizy.

I think it's because of the HV battery lease. You never own the battery but have to lease it at a cost of more than your monthly petrol or diesel costs for the average mileage driver. It's crazy.

A one year old electric Fluence ZE is for sale for less than half its original sticker price and with nominal miles. Thing is, as the car gets older you still have to pay the same cost for your HV battery leasing. In another year at this rate of depreciation you'll be paying more for the battery than the car!

Oh, and Renault have sold only 1 (one) Fluence this year making a total of 60 sold in the UK. It's a nice looking car but it has to be the battery lease that's just scaring away owners. I have considered one, especially at the low low cost of the 12 month old models, but an open ended lease of over £1,000 a year just keeps me away. There's also the insurance complications of who covers the battery which you don't actually own and on which a value can't be set.

Typically French situation. They give you what THEY think you want, not what the customers want.


Combined stats (2 models) RENAULT FLUENCE - How Many Left?

 

Smart here is offering the choice of a battery lease. At $80 a month, seems like a nice option depending on how much leasing the battery lowers the car's price. But battery lease only with no option to purchase one is silly. Has Renault released any technical specs on the battery pack in case some one wants to build their own?

 

Not that I can see, though with only a couple hundred sales internationally I can't see there being too many customers asking.

I do actually like the Fluence in a weird sort of way. But I'm not getting involved in an open ended lease for part of the car. On the Fluence forum (a very quiet place ) one owner has had nightmare reliability issues with the car (it is a Renault after all) but he has regularly been able to get 95-100+ miles range. I think the Fluence battery is either the same as the Leaf or slightly smaller, but its reduced power/performance helps get it further. I'm not sure I'd get on with a car that does 0-60 in 13.5 seconds though!?!

 

The car itself is ok but the way it is executed is not. You can't use a household plug - at all, not even an option. No good in these early days of EV ownership. What happens if your home charger breaks down? Or you get caught short on a journey? You can't even visit family within the range of the car as you still need to get back. No plugging in at theirs for a quick top up.

Then there's Renaults insistence on leasing the HV battery. There are some merits to this but many more negatives as follows;

1, You're always paying out for something that costs as much (perhaps more) as fuel.
2, Many finance companies (including 2 of the largest) refuse to lend on the car because you don't own the battery (thus don't own the full car - how can they repossess it if you fall behind with Renault also owning part of it?)
3, Insurance issues - what is the market value if you have a separate lease on a battery? What do you get paid if you total the car? The amount you actually paid or the combined cost of the car AND battery? Most believe it's the former, potentially leaving you significantly out of pocket (more so than just gap cover offers) if you have a smash.
4, Because the battery is owned by Renault, a suitable trade in price cannot be established and thus the car is not in the national trades price guide. Attempt trading the car in (which is bad enough anyway - low trade in prices) and you can't as they won't give you a price. This affects company ownership as they can't use these values for tax reasons either.
5, Once the car gets to 4 or 5 years old, the cost of the battery lease will be as much each year as the car is worth. Now that can happen with petrol costs BUT the lease is required to be paid each and every month regardless for as long as you own the car. What if you can't sell it? What if your circumstances change and you're off sick? You still have to pay £85 - £115 per month on a battery lease to go nowhere. Appreciate you still have to pay a loan or lease on a car, but we're talking now of a 5 year old car. These are usually £2,500 and either paid for in full or on small loans. The battery lease will be as much as or more than the loan. Also, people buying a 5 year old car might not be as credit worthy. What if they buy the car and are refused finance on the battery?


Leasing might have made sense in a business meeting one time at Renault in France, but it sure as heck doesn't work here in reality.

Nissan are giving the option of leasing the HV battery in their Leaf and few are actually taking it up. Most are paying more for the combined car and battery. Renault refuse to offer that option with the result that their EVs are not selling - at all (other than France where their Government have purchased loads).

 

for range anxiety - a trunk-full of plug adapters helps - that, and long range towing.
Renault & Nissan are sister corporations so I'm surprised that Renault doesn't have Chademo ... Or do they?

 

You'd have thought wouldn't you, but they're almost different cars. The Fluence has similar specs to the Leaf but in a bog standard saloon car. There are no official stats on the battery in it (lots of speculation), but the rumour is that it's larger than the Leafs and thus able to achieve over 100 miles on a charge with some regularity. I believe the Leaf will only do that with only the most light footed of hyper milers.

The Zoe is a rare sight. It has been released to most Renault dealers but many did not (and still don't) have the suitable charger to charge it. Thus it sits in the show room with a flat battery. It is just so mismanaged as to be bordering on negligent or deliberate. Rumour on the Renault EV sites is that someone high up at Renault doesn't want EVs. How else could they make such a dogs dinner releasing £billions of investment so badly?