Global warming is a reality. It is caused by an excess of CO2 in the atmosphere, acting as a blanket, trapping the heat and warming the planet. As a global automotive manufacturing group, we cannot ignore our industry’s role in this phenomenon. Passenger cars alone contribute 15% of all greenhouse gases emitted globally.
The Solution
While other manufacturers are engineering solutions to lower exhaust emissions from conventional engines, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has already become the world leader in sales of zero-emission vehicles while driving, with more than 250,000 battery-powered cars and vans sold to date.
Benefits
Apart from being fun to drive, a battery-powered vehicle does not produce CO2 emissions or air pollutants.*
Our EVs help reduce global warming and improve the quality of air in cities.
Surveys in Rome and Hong Kong suggest that by 2020, with EVs accounting for just 20%of city centre traffic, the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide – a recognised respiratory irritant – can be reduced by as much as 45%. Imagine how much better that would be if, every other vehicle was an EV.
Life would be quieter, too, as an EV is virtually silent in use.
As an EV pioneer, the Alliance has been the target of cynics and critics convinced the technology would never work. History shows they are wrong. With fewer moving parts than a conventional car, Renault and Nissan EVs have proven to be extremely reliable and customer satisfaction is over 90%.
The cars are also a big hit with car enthusiasts. In 2011,the Nissan LEAF was named Japanese, European and World Car of the Year. And now the Renault ZOE has picked up the same winning habit with a string of awards across Europe, like the distinguished “Red Dot” award for superior design.
Alliance vans, meanwhile, are also proving popular with companies, especially those operating in cities, attracted by their ease of use, versatility, lower maintenance costs and, of course, the lack of tailpipe emissions.
The Future
The future looks equally exciting with Alliance-driven partnerships delivering more and more quick-charge stations.
One example is the Corri-Door Project launched by EDF, the French electric utility company, in May. The first two quick charging points are now operational at the Bosgouet Nord (A13) and Tardenois Nord (A4) motorway service stations in France operated by SANEF. By the end of this year, 200 new fast charging points will be rolled out across the country. The charging points can recharge a LEAF or a ZOE to 80% capacity in less than 30 minutes.
Besides a quick charge network, other projects include vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, where a parked electric vehicle can return its energy to the grid.
The future is here and it’s electric!
* Regulated atmospheric pollutants while driving according to homologation cycle (NEDC).