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Renault Fluence “Zero Emissions” In Malaysia Text by Daniel Fernandez
Do you think you can live with an electric car daily? Well, the marketers at TC Euro Cars Sdn. Bhd. the franchise holders of Renault in Malaysia believe you can do so easily. They are about to launch the all electric Fluence Z.E. sedan to the Malaysian market. We were given a brief test drive of the car in the city to see how it fares. Unlike the Nissan LEAF electric car, the Fluence Z.E. looks like a normal sedan. The Fluence Z.E. is manufactured at the OYAK-Renault factory in Bursa, Turkey, using the same production line as internal combustion engine-powered versions of Fluence. Production started in the first half of 2011. Step inside and you see a familiar Renault cabin with space for 5 adults and a conventional dashboard. Look
Renault FLUENCE Z.E. SPECIFICATIONS Motor: Electric Max output: 70kW EEC Max torque: 226Nm EEC Transmission: Direct drive with reducer
and forward/reverse inverter Type Of battery: Lithium-ion Range: 160 kilometers Price: To Be Announced
closer and the meter cluster is a little different. You have a charge-level indicator where
you’d normally find a rev counter. There is also a meter that shows how much energy you’re using at any given moment. The comfortable interior also features drive navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic dual-zone climate control, and automatic headlamp and windscreen-wiper activation. Ignite the battery and there is a slight hum and the word ‘GO’ appears on the dash. Shift the gear to drive and the Fluence Z.E glides away with ease. It
Can You Live With An Electric Car?
really drives no different than a petrol car. And now, the thing that everybody wants to know about, the Fluence Z.E.’s range on one full charge. Re-
nault says that the Fluence ZE can go about 150-160 kilometers on a charge. But drive it aggressively with the climate control in full blast and
the range could be reduced by half. In theory, this Fluence ZE is a lot like its sibling, the Nissan LEAF. More details to come early next year.