Plug Pulled as Renault Fluence Z.E. Goes to a Better Place
A Renault spokesman has confirmed to Just-Auto that the company has discontinued assembly of the electric version of the Fluence, the Fluence Z.E. The Fluence Z.E. was built in the OYAK-Renault’s plant in the Turkish city of Bursa.
Conventional Fluences will continue to be built at the Bursa plant. Renault had designed the electric Fluence primarily for the Israeli and Danish markets where now bankrupt Better Place had contracted to install national networks of battery swap stations and fast-charging posts. Far fewer recharging locations than planned were ever installed in either country. Better Place filed for bankruptcy last year.
Production of the Fluence Z.E. actually ended last November at the Turkish plant but a variant will continue to be produced in South Koera. RSM, a joint venture between Renault and Samsung, has been producing the Samsung SM3 Z.E. at RSM’s factory in Busan since October 2013.
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What is that white stuff oozing from the rearview mirror? Looks like bird poop runoff.
Personally, I think that's a mistake on Renault's side. Granted, their contracted charging post installer went bankrupt but rather than abandoning a model they should have contracted with another company to resume installations. Maybe they could work with Tesla to license their Supercharger technology or at least to use a common plug, which would give Tesla an in-road to a new market while letting Renault continue production and sales in known markets.
Better Place was an interesting idea that was 10 years too late. Just consider how hard it is to achieve a common high-rate DC charging standard, then consider how hard it would be to have mfrs design their cars so your depots can swap their battery packs. This car hitched its ride to a bad business plan, hence this result.
I can't be the only one that read the name as "Renault Flatulence".