Green Drive: Renault & Nissan At Challenge Bibendum

The coming-of-age of the electric vehicle will be celebrated by the Renault-Nissan Alliance at the Challenge Bibendum in Berlin in May. For the first time since Renault and Nissan have participated in the annual event, the two companies will be showcasing electric vehicles at the five-day event dedicated to a sustainable future for personal mobility.

The Challenge Bibendum, which is created and sponsored by Michelin and now in its 11th year, brings together more than 5,000 people from the worlds of politics, business, industry, science, society and the media to discuss the challenges facing future mobility.

As well as forums, debates and technological exhibitions, Challenge Bibendum, which starts May 18 this year, stages ‘real world’ driving tests and rallies.

One highlight of the event is a 300-km rally for up to 100 intercity vehicles to evaluate performance, safety, fuel savings and, vitally, CO2 emissions. The Renault Fluence Z.E. (zero emission) family saloon will represent the Alliance in this rally. Although the total distance to be covered is greater than the EV’s maximum range, the driving team will swap batteries at half distance to demonstrate that electric vehicles need not be restricted to a life within the city walls.

The award-winning, five-seater Nissan LEAF – already on sale in Japan, North America and select markets in Europe – will take part in other events, including a tough 30-km circuit simulating typical urban conditions. Under the watchful eye of the German automotive club ADAC, various tests will evaluate acceleration, braking drivability, noise emissions and fuel savings. The compact family hatchback, which was recently named 2011 World Car of the Year, will also participate in a 125-km rally dedicated specifically to electric vehicles.

Both the Nissan LEAF and the Renault Fluence Z.E. will take part in the event’s opening parade and will also be available for media and public to sample in Ride and Drive demonstrations. Visitors will have the opportunity to pit their eco-driving skills in the Renault Fluence Z.E. against targets set by Renault’s Challenge Bibendum experts.

“Challenge Bibendum sees the vehicles needed for tomorrow’s road mobility as ‘Clean, Safe and Connected.’ The Renault Fluence Z.E. and the Nissan LEAF embody those three attributes completely. The Alliance is at the forefront of EV technology and Challenge Bibendum is the perfect platform for us to demonstrate how the future of personal mobility will look,” said Thierry Koskas, Electric Vehicle Program Manager at Renault, speaking on behalf of the Alliance.

The Alliance is aiming to be the leader in zero-emission mobility and will have the capacity to produce 500,000 electric vehicles and batteries at its plants around the world by 2015, making it the only automotive group in the world building electric vehicles and batteries on this scale.

The two companies have also entered into more than 90 partnerships with governments, municipal authorities and companies around the world to ensure that the necessary incentives and infrastructure are put in place for the successful adoption of such vehicles.

Credits: wilswong