The green car race may have been dominated by Japanese and German manufacturers to date, with American automakers playing catch-up, but now it is the French who are fighting back with Peugeot, Citroen and Renault all revealing a greener outlook…
The green car race: the French are coming
The eyes of the green car world, so regularly focused on Asia, Germany and the US, have finally taken more than a passing glance at one of the most historic auto industries in the world – that of France.
Since the turn of the month PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault have been dominating headlines by revealing plans for a series of green car concepts. So what has each manufacturer got planned and how likely are they to be competitive with their well-established rivals?
PSA Peugeot Citroen – one to watch
The Peugeot name actually has a long history in the production of electric vehicles, having sold more ‘zero emission’ vehicles than any other manufacturer in the world. Its first electric vehicle was the Peugeot 106 Electric, which was sold between 1995 and 2003.
Last week it began taking pre-bookings for the Peugeot i0n model (see article), which is based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The i0n is described by the company as an ‘ideal solution’ for the challenges of urban mobility versus environmental protection. It has four doors, four seats and a compact length of 3.48m. It develops torque of 180Nm with a maximum speed of 80mph and an operating range of 80miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion batteries. The batteries can be recharged in six hours or to 80 per cent capacity in 30minutes using a fast charge system. The car will also be marketed under the Citroen brand as the C-ZERO.
It was a well thought out move by PSA Peugeot Citroen to sign an agreement with Mitsubishi to manufacture the vehicle in Europe after the i-MiEV enjoyed significant success on its launch in Japan this summer.
However, the company can boast a number of exciting green concepts of its own.
These include the Peugeot PROLOGUE HyMotion4 and the RC HyMotion4 Concept, which effectively act in reverse of each other. The PROLOGUE puts the internal combustion engine up front and runs on diesel, while the RC uses petrol with the electric motor going at the back. Similar to the Chevy Volt concept, the RC can run solely on electric power for extended periods with a hybrid powertrain providing extra range when needed.
The company has also reportedly signed an agreement with Sanyo Electric Company to supply NiMH batteries for its diesel-electric hybrid cars from 2011 (see article) as it bids to be the first automaker to bring a hybrid-electric diesel to the market. The batteries will be used in new versions of the Peugeot 3008 and the Citroen DS5 luxury car.
Renault – the fab four
In March 1999, Renault took a 44.4 per cent stake in Japanese manufacturer Nissan, with Nissan in return establishing a 15 per cent stake in the French car maker. The so-called Renault-Nissan Alliance has been a key figure in the developing green car market thanks in large to its partnership with electric vehicle services provider Better Place which has seen the company help to establish electric car infrastructure in countries such as Denmark and Israel, as well as areas of California and Japan.
However, whereas Nissan has announced several green cars under its brand – such as the Nissan Altima Hybrid, the Nissan LEAF and the Nissan Land Glider Concept – Renault remained relatively quiet until this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show (see article).
At the event, Renault unveiled four electric vehicles: the four-door saloon Fluence; the Kangoo ZE electric delivery van; the Zoe ZE, an ultra-cute city coupe; and the Twizy ZE, a two-seat, four-wheeled enclosed electric enclosed scooter.
The Fluence ZE, which will be built at the company’s OYAK-Bursa plant in Turkey (see article), has an uncanny resemblance to the Megane and will have three battery options: standard charge, rapid charge and ‘Quickdrop’ battery exchange that should make it ideal for the Better Place network.
You can read more about plans for the Zoe ZE; the Twizy ZE; and the Kangoo ZE at the respective links.
So can France have an impact in the green car race?
Perhaps the keys to success in the green car race are exciting and marketable innovations; government backing; and consumer support.
It’s clear that PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault, thanks in part to their partnerships with Japanese car makers, have finally produced concepts that could see them figure as strongly in a new look automotive market as they do in the present environment.
When this is coupled by France’s 14point electric car plan (see article) which includes support for Renault’s lithium-ion battery plant and grants for consumers to buy vehicles with CO2 emissions below 60g/km; it appears that both carmakers are well positioned to emerge from the pack into potential pace makers as the green car market develops over the next five years.
