Better Place LLC plans to officially launch the electric car in Israel on October 1, 2011, according to a presentation by Renault SA (Euronext: RNO) at a Deutsche Bank conference. Renault began production of the electric Fluence in Turkey in June, and has so far produced 660 preproduction units intended for ten pilot programs around the world.
According to Renault, the Fluence has already undergone severe summer condition Israel and southern Spain, and reached a continuous travel range of 182 kilometers in some tests - 20 kilometers more than planned.
Renault's economic model states that the cost of the Fluence, not including the battery and cost of the subscribers plan, will correspond to the price of the diesel model of the Fluence. The company says that this pricing model was the preferred choice in market tests that it conducted. Renault says that Better Place has committed to buying 115,000 Fluences, including those for Denmark.
In addition to the Fluence, Renault plans to deliver to several countries, including Israel, the electric model of the Zoe compact. However, it is not yet clear from Renault's information whether the Zoe will have only a permanent battery, or if it will also have the battery replacement option supported by the Better Place model.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 8, 2010
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