Frankfurt Motor Show: Renault Kangoo ZE Concept breaks cover
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
Renault Kangoo ZE Concept
After the Twizy ZE Concept, Renault unveiled another car at the Frankfurt Motor Show: the Kangoo ZE Concept. The new car previews the electric vans for commercial use and is programmed to go on sale in 2011. Powered by lithium batteries mounted underneath the dashboard developing 95 hp and 226 Nm of torque, the so called "electric van" has a range if 160 km and a top speed electronically limited to 130 km/h.
Press release: "Kangoo Z.E. Concept's dimensions (length 3.95m, height: 1.85m) ensure that it is perfectly nimble and manoeuvrable in and about town. Its high torque (226Nm) is instantly available to ensure responsive acceleration performance in built-up areas. ZERO-EMISSION MOBILITY, TOO, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ROAD-USER The Kangoo Z.E. Concept provides a foretaste of what mobility promises to resemble in the future for urban-based transporter and delivery companies, while at the same time carrying over the same acclaimed strengths as Kangoo when it comes to travelling comfort, space and safety performance. To facilitate loading, the hatch-type rear door and wide, folding sill ensures that parcels and other types of loads are easy to slide into the boot. DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE ENERGY CONSUMPTION The design of Kangoo Z.E. Concept has been thought through in keeping with its mission as an electric vehicle which needs to minimize energy consumption, yet without losing sight of the need for modern comfort-related refinements. The use of heat-reflective paint and bodywork featuring large surface areas reduces temperature fluctuations. Indeed, the bodywork functions along the same lines as a Thermos flask and comprises two insulating panels with a sandwich of air in between. This air, which is still the most effective insulant known today, serves to moderate temperature extremes between the exterior and the interior of the car. Thermal insulation is further optimized thanks to special treatment of the glazed surfaces, meaning that less call is made of the climate control and heating systems which are big consumers of energy. Solar panels positioned on the roof are employed to power a temperature regulation system inside the car. Keeping the cabin cool uses a significant amount of energy, but this system also permits a pleasant temperature to be maintained inside the cabin, even at a standstill or when parking, and avoids having to put the climate control system on boost when first getting in the car on a hot day. The entire layout of the heating and climate control systems has been developed to achieve a particularly efficient trade-off between performance and energy consumption. For example, the impression of heat is especially felt by the face and hands. Accordingly, if the cabin temperature is, say, 15 C, warmth is channelled as close as possible to these more sensitive zones (in the form of a heated steeringwheel, for example) in order to ensure that the driver feels comfortable, while using less electrical energy. The conventional drag-producing exterior mirrors have been replaced by streamlined, low-energy cameras which are powered by the roof-mounted solar panels. These cameras provide improved allround visibility, which is especially practical when manoeuvring. The full-disc aluminium alloy wheels produce less drag, too, while the headlights use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which are not only longlasting but also low consumers of energy.
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