TomTom and Renault have revealed a new in-dash sat nav system specifically designed for electric cars which will be fitted as standard to the car maker’s Fluence Z.E electric model, due to launch next year.
The Carminat TomTom Z.E LIVE sat nav receives information from the battery on its current state of charge, which is used to determine the available range of the vehicle. This information is then visualised on the navigation screen, showing the journey against the available range and the routes to the charge stations.
Renault says this new system will help reduce range anxiety by making it easier for drives to will help to effectively plan their journeys and recharging. The system also includes an eco-routing – providing the driver with an option to select the most energy efficient route.
It is expected that there will be over 5000 public charging points across Europe by the end of 2011-and finding them will be important to drivers of Renault’s first electric models. The TomTom Home application will provide users with the latest charging station list each time they connect their SD card to their computer.
“This is the first navigation system TomTom is launching in the area of electric vehicles and it represents a great milestone for us as a company in this exciting new market. The Carminat TomTom Z.E.LIVE for Fluence Z.E., is also the third major development in the already successful Carminat TomTom series and underlines our fruitful relationship with Renault,” says Giles Shrimpton, Managing Director, TomTom Automotive
In addition, the Carminat TomTom Z.E LIVE comes with live services including HD Traffic, providing drivers with its unique dynamic routing; giving them the fastest route to their destination based on the latest traffic situation. It also features local search through TomTom Places, in addition to Google local search.
Fluence ZE will arrive in the UK in the autumn of 2012 and is available to order now. Its lithium batteries give the Fluence a range up to 115miles per charge, while its electric motor has a 70kW output, delivering instant and continuous torque of 226 Nm and a top speed of 84 mph. Priced from £17,850 (after a £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant), it qualifies for Congestion Charge exemption, road tax exemption and is Benefit-in-Kind tax free for five years.
