Renault grows as EV nears

Renault is gearing up for the launch of its first electric vehicle, the Kangoo ZE, after achieving its highest ever growth in the fleet sector.

Its cumulative fleet car share of almost 4.8% in 2010 was an increase of 2.2%, helping it achieve its target of 5% market share for cars and vans.

“If you look at our overall performance last year, we were certainly the biggest winner in terms of fleet growth and also in terms of van share,” said Darren Payne, Renault’s director of fleet and commercial vehicle operations.

This year, it’s aiming to consolidate that performance with a share aspiration of more than 4% for cars, while also maintaining its 7.5% record share for vans.

Part of its 2011 offering will be the ZE, with the first customers taking delivery of the EV van in October. It’s priced at £16,990 excluding VAT and benefits from a 100% capital writing-down allowance.

Ownership will be separate to that of the battery with customers able to either purchase or rent their ZE and then take out a subscription for the battery. In the UK, this will cost from £59 per month excluding VAT, based on a four year/9,000 miles per year contract.

Payne remained tight-lipped about target sales figures, simply saying that “they’re fairly modest in the first year because we get the vehicle in October”.

“But having said that, I anticipate that demand will be stronger than supply.”