Renault charges ahead with electric van 23 | 09 | 2010

RENAULT HAS given pricing details for its first electric vehicle which is aimed at reducing air pollution across Scotland. The Kangoo ZE van costs £16,990, excluding VAT, and the battery will be leased for a monthly payment of £59. The battery lease is based over a four-year/9000-mile per year contract.

While all electric LCVs are eligible for 100% capital write-down allowance, commercial vehicles do not qualify for the £5000 incentive from the Government.

The Kangoo Van ZE — available to pre-order now with initial deliveries expected in Scotland next summer — is 4.21m long with a load capacity of between 3 and 3.5 m3, a load length of 2.50m and a payload of 650kg.

The load capacity is exactly the same as on the internal combustion-engined Kangoo Van as a result of Renault locating the batteries in the centre of the vehicle under the floor.

While a chrome ZE badge at the rear identifies it as a Renault electric vehicle, the Kangoo's charging flap is located at the front, next to the right hand headlamp. With a potential range of 100 miles, the Kangoo Van ZE takes between six and eight hours to charge from a standard 220V 16A domestic socket if it is parked overnight or during working hours.