Nissan has vowed to be at the forefront of electric vehicle technology but Nissan’s parent company, Renault, won’t be far behind. The French automaker has announced that it plans to have three electric vehicles to market by the year 2012.
According to Autocar, the zero-emissions models will include an electric version of the company’s Kangoo MPV, an electric car based on the Megane sedan and an all-new small car model that will offer seating for five.
Renault has been testing an electric version of its Megane in Israel for some time now, with that program serving as the basis for the production electric car. Expect the electric version of the Megane to hit the market in 2011, with an electric version of the Kangoo dropping just before it.
Although Renault’s all-new electric model will be a small city car, look for the French automaker to inject it with plenty of style and fun driving dynamics. Renault is keen on keeping the car’s image fresh and youthful – as opposed to most other boring city car models – and will probably give the car a unique body design (think Toyota Prius ).
All three models should be on the market by 2012, with Renault planning to use its electric car fleet to shuttle athletes and spectators to and from the 2012 Olympic games in London.
