Renault is removing the Fluence ZE from its range
- Renault has decided to remove the Fluence ZE from its range of electric cars.
- While this model was supposed to be sold at 10 000 units per year since 2011, according to the objectives of the manufacturer, it found only 4 000 buyers worldwide in three years (750 in 2011, 2 150 in 2012 and 1 100 in 2013).
- The bankruptcy of Better Place (charging system originally planned for the Renault Fluence ZE) and the arrival on the market of the Renault Zoe a cheaper alternative, probably caused a fatal blow to the lifecycle of the Fluence ZE.
- Nevertheless, the mixed sales record of Renault electric cars will necessarily darken with the removal of the Fluence ZE. However, the manufacturer claims that this model will go on under the Samsung brand (SM3 ZE) throughout Asia, but nevertheless this is one less model for the range of the current leader of the electric car market in Europe, which now only consists of Zoe, Kangoo and incidentally Twizy whose distribution has also become rather sparse.
- Renault should undoubtedly focus its electrical activity on two models, a passenger car (Zoe) and a light commercial vehicle (Kangoo) The same way that Nissan is focusing on the Leaf.
- The Zoe was sold in 2013 at 10 000 copies in Europe (against a target of 50 000 according to the manufacturer) and the Kangoo ZE was sold at 6000 copies (against a target of 10 000 according to the manufacturer).
