Renault unveils Kangoo be bop Z.E, pure all-electric cuteness

Email This Post

May 6, 2009 by admin

Kangoo be bop Z.E. – Click above for a high-res image gallery

Renault used the occasion of its shareholder meeting in Paris today to show off a new prototype electric vehicle. The name? Kangoo be bop Z.E.

The Z.E., as you might expect, stands for zero emissions, and the prototype is based on the Kangoo be bop that is on sale this spring in Europe and the Z.E. Concept that debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Renault will bring the be bop Z.E. through Europe this July, offering test drives and more information on the electric powertrain inside, which is similar to Renault’s production “affordable” EVs that should be available in 2011. The Kangoo be bop Z.E. uses a 44kW (60hp) electric motor and a 15kWh lithium-ion battery pack made by the Nissan-NEC joint venture AESC (Automotive Electric Supply Corporation). Instead of a gearbox, the be bop Z.E. uses a reducer that has a single, constant output ratio.

The be bop Z.E.’s battery is good for about 100 km (62 miles), Renault claims, but the production version should be able to go 160 km (100 miles). The first pure electric production vehicles from the Renault-Nissan partnership will come to the U.S. and Japan next year. Renault will start with a sedan in Israel and then a utility New Kangoo EV in Europe in 2011. More details after the jump.

Gallery: Renault Kangoo be bop Z.E.