Fuelling debate on electric cars

Jun 27, 2008 - Edward Stephens - Birminghammail.net

WITH the situation in the Middle East being so volatile it's hardly surprising that Israel worries about the future source of petrol for its citizens' cars.

But now thanks to help from the French car giant Renault it plans to put its worries behind it by abandoning petrol and going all electric.

Renault believes strongly in the future of electric vehicles and is currently investing a massive 200 million euros a year in developing the technology.

It believes that by 2020 up to 20 per cent of all cars in use in the world will be electric, with most operating in big cities.

Because of the compact size of Israel and its political needs it looks set to become the showcase example of what can be done.

The model could then be copied in major cities throughout the world on a smaller scale.

Serge Yoccoz, Renault's project director for electric vehicles, said that by 2011 Israel would be using electric powered Meganes and Kangoos and by 2012 the company would have created a new model designed solely for electric car use.

Denmark too is working with Renault in a bid to switch more motorists to elect ric powered cars.

But it's not just the car company that is prepared to invest in electric vehicles.

Both Israel and Denmark will be offering massive incentives for motorists to make the switch.

In the case of Israel the 80 per cent tax on a car will be reduced to 20 per cent for buyers who opt for electric.

And in Denmark where taxes range from 105 per cent to 180 per cent - depending upon engine size - they will disappear altogether for motorists buying electric cars.

Mr Yoccoz said it was forward thinking like that which had encourage Renault to work with both countries.

"We will be the only car maker involved and will therefore be leading the way," he said.

He claimed the next generation of electric cars would be cheaper than petrol or diesel models if both the initial cost and running costs were taken into consideration and that would inspire people to buy.

The new electric cars being developed by Renault will have a range of around 100 miles.

"When you consider that around 25 per cent of all Europeans never drive more than 100 kilometres in a day the benefits of electric cars are obvious," he said.

The plan in Israel is to have 250,000 "charging points" in place by 2012. These would be places like car parks, supermarkets and places of business.

A full charge would take about four hours - and normally be done overnight - but the average charge would be around two hours.

There would also be battery exchange centres around the country where motorists could pop in and exchange their low battery for a charged one in minutes, leaving the flat one to be charged.

It's anticipated that simila r schemes will eventually be operated in Britain, especially if petrol and diesel prices cont inue to soar.

Longer term Renault's outlook is focussed on electric vehicles powered by fuel cells as they offer an extended driving range.

The company has just unveiled a prototype Scenic model - the Scenic ZEV H2 - which is powered by a fuel cell and will be undergoing a major programme of testing.

During a trip to France I had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of this glimpse of the future, driving it briefly on private roads.

Externally, apart from the badging, it looks exactly the same as any other Scenic.

The dials on the dashboard are different, however, and when you open the hatch the high floor area gives a clue that there is a rather large tank underneath it - in this case full of hydrogen.

It's only when you start the car that you are aware of the real difference - because there is no engine sound.

Like all electric cars - and despite running on hydrogen it is powered by an electric motor - it is totally silent even when you pull away.

In fact it's so quiet pedestrians could fall victim to it because they won't hear it coming, so Renault is working on developing some sort of noise to make them aware of its approach.

But while it's lacking in noise it's not lacking in power. It will accelerate from 0- 62 mph in 14 seconds and reach a top speed of around 100 mph.

It's also surprisingly torquey from the outset and like all electric cars there are no gears. You just put your foot on the accelerator and go. It is one continuous power band.

The electric for the motor is generated by the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen but so far there are less than 300 hydrogen filling stations throughout the world so this method is still very much in its infancy.

In the immediate future Renault is continuing with its strategy of building more environmentally friendly petrol engines by down-sizing - creating smaller engines with the power of larger ones which are more economical to run.

Alice de Brauer, the company's vice president for strategic environmental planning, said they were convinced that, for volume cars at least, this rather than hybrid models was the way forward.