Renault’s electric vehicles are currently available in 18 countries and continue to be launched in markets around the world. The rollout process will now be accompanied by a monthly saga article. The first focuses on the island of Reunion, where ZOE, Twizy and Kangoo Z.E. recently arrived in Renault dealerships.
Local conditions in the new market led to the development of solar panel-powered charging stations, an innovative solution that means Renault electric vehicles here can run and charge in zero-emission mode.
GBH, Renault’s importer and distributor in Reunion, started selling Twizy, ZOE and Kangoo Z.E. on November 11, 2013 through long-term, five-year leasing contracts priced, respectively, at €299, €599 and €499 a month, VAT included.
2014 objective: a charging station every 15 kilometers
Reunion is ideally suited to the introduction of electric vehicles owing to its compact size, facilitating the link-up of charging stations, and the population’s average daily driving distance of just 24 kilometers.
Because public-access charging stations were vital to the launch of the three models, Renault worked upstream on the introduction of the infrastructure. Implementing a comprehensive charging network is easier here than in Metropolitan France as the stations are concentrated on the coast. Today, 19 charging stations are up and running, with the first users “filling up” their vehicles free of charge. The network is to be expanded to 27 stations by the end of 2013, with an objective of one station every 15 kilometers in 2014.
Zero-emission charging stations
In parallel with this charging network, Renault has joined forces with Sunzil to introduce private charging stations going under the name of “Autozil”. Autozil stations are equipped with solar canopies and roofs equipped with photovoltaic panels and an electricity storage system enabling the daily charge of electric vehicles, so motorists can charge their ZOE, Twizy or Kangoo Z.E. with “green” electricity independently of the network operated by the EDF utility.
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The development of the innovative Autozil charging stations was motivated by a local constraint, namely that part of Reunion’s electricity is generated by CO2-emitting thermal power stations, which diminish the environmental benefit of electric vehicles. As an island, Reunion has very few connections with the continental electricity network. Also, the electricity supply-and-demand balance is more fragile here than on the continent. If all electric motorists were to charge their cars in the evening, during peak demand period, the fragility of the electricity network could be exacerbated, leading to power outages.
The situation required an “autonomous” charging infrastructure independent of the local electricity network. And Reunion has harnessed all its expertise in photovoltaic technology to meet that need.
Read the full press release here
See more pictures here
Picture 1: Sainte Anne charging station
Picture 2: Moufia charging station
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