Renault Kangoo could come here

The electric-only Renault Kangoo ZE compact van is being hailed as an eco friendly model that will match the running costs of existing combustion-engined version.

Renault Australia says the business case to bring the electric Kangoo is ‘well advanced’ although it is still waiting for the final green light.

One of the vehicle’s advantages is the reduced maintenance cost, with estimated savings of 20 per cent. The savings would come from not having to worry about oil changes, timing belts, air filters or fuel filters.

Running costs are also cut by a dramatic reduction in fuel bills, with the actual cost per km dependent on electricity prices in various areas.

There is no way to tell how much the electric Kangoo would cost by the time it came to Australia, but the European model will cost the equivalent of $26,700. However, there will also be a $100 per month battery lease.

Currently, there are no considerable incentives for eco-friendly vehicles in Australia, but many European governments offer financial assistance for electric vehicle purchases. For example, in France, the Kangoo would attract a $5000 subsidy.

The Kangoo ZE features an electric motor (44kW and 226Nm) in the engine bay, which is fed by a 22kWh (kiloWatt hour) lithium ion battery that sits behind the front seats and below the load floor.

Renault says the vehicle has a range of 170km, when driven according to the same test that determines the fuel consumption ratings for internal combustion-engined vehicles, although this is dependent on the way the vehicle is driven.

The payload is 650kg, while the load volume ranges from 3m3 to 3.5m3. Renault says the recharging time, using a wall-mounted Renault charger, is between six and eight hours.

It will be possible to top up at public charging centres (which are way more prominent in Europe than Australia), but it will take an hour to gain an extra 20km of range.