Renault supplies 55 ZOE hatchback Zero Emission cars to Europcar for the city-based Deliver & Collect service.

• Renault delivers its biggest ever single UK order of the 100 per cent electric Renault ZOE
• Award-winning supermini to be used by Europcar to support its city-based Deliver & Collect service
• Significant order to contribute to Europcar UK’s goal of five per cent of its vehicles to be electric by 2020
• Renault ZOE chosen for its ease of use and driver feedback
• Zero emissions in use hatchbacks will also benefit customers of the all-electric E-Car Club
• Renault ZOE awarded a Which? Best Buy in 2016, voted What Car? ‘Best Electric Car for less than £20,000’ for the third consecutive year and number two overall out of 150 vehicles, in the 2016 Auto Express Driver Power ownership survey

Renault has delivered its biggest ever UK order of the all-electric Renault ZOE, with 55 of the innovative supermini having been supplied to Europcar UK for use in the delivery and collection of hire vehicles in major UK cities.

With zero emissions in use and offering the benefits of smooth and instant pulling power, the award-winning Renault ZOE is ideally suited to the busy urban-based role. 

While supporting Europcar’s Deliver & Collect service, which ensures that customers of the leading mobility player enjoy a highly convenient and flexible hire car experience, the Renault ZOEs will also contribute to Europcar’s continued efforts to be at the forefront of reducing vehicle emissions and introducing customers to new technologies.

Europcar is committed to five per cent of its total UK vehicle fleet being electric by 2020.

Ease of use and environmental compatibility were key factors in Europcar choosing the ZOE. The firm’s decision to invest in Europe’s best-selling EV was also influenced by the positive customer feedback it has received from those who have experienced the Renault ZOE through its rental fleet.

In addition to enabling Europcar employees to deliver rental vehicles to customers at their home or workplace, the Renault ZOEs will provide support to E-Car Club – the all-electric car club that Europcar has a majority stake in and the acquisition of which represented the first ever exit of a crowdfunded start-up. 

With E-Car Club attracting more and more private and business customers and working to grow its locations, which span from East London to the Outer Hebrides, the Renault ZOEs will ensure that E-Car Club can quickly access additional cars to meet customer demand.

The 55 Renault ZOEs all feature the Expression Nav level of trim. As standard, the comprehensive specification includes automatic climate control, electric front windows, keycard entry with push button start/stop function, cruise control and speed limiter, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and ETC (Electronic Traction Control), 4x20W Renault R-Link Multimedia system incorporating a 7-inch touch screen, TomTom LIVE satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and voice control.

All have been supplied and prepared by DSG Renault, Morecambe, the dealership having vast experience of Renault’s versatile electric vehicle (EV) range.

Gary Smith, Managing Director, Europcar UK Group said: “Our Deliver & Collect service aims to enhance the rental experience for our customers – taking the time and hassle out of collecting a vehicle at the start of the hire and having to go back to our branch at the end of the journey. 

And the addition of the Renault ZOEs at many of our city branches, enabling our employees to get to and from our branches without expending any emissions, makes the Deliver & Collect service all the more environmentally friendly.”

Chris Morris, Managing Director and Co-Founder of E-Car Club, added: “We are delighted to add to our existing fleet of Renault ZOE; a very popular choice amongst E-Car members. This acquisition of vehicles will help support our forthcoming expansions, particularly in Scotland, where we have significant deployment plans within the next six months.

“Our strategic partnership with Renault continues to grow from strength-to-strength, with the ZOE and Kangoo Van Z.E now making up a significant proportion of the E-Car fleet. We look forward to building on this partnership into the future.”

Nick Tame, Sales Director, Groupe Renault UK, said: “We are exceptionally pleased that Europcar has chosen the Renault ZOE as the most suitable vehicle to support its collection and delivery service, and also make a significant contribution to meeting its environmental ambitions. 

The significant size of the order illustrates the rapidly-increasing popularity of the Renault EV range in the UK and the vast appeal of the ZOE’s superb all-round package, which has seen it recognised by What Car? as the ‘Best electric car on sale for under £20,000’ for the last three consecutive years and also being voted ‘Best Supermini’, and number two overall out of 150 vehicles, in the 2016 Auto Express Driver Power ownership survey.”

Ben Fletcher, Electric Vehicle Product Manager, Groupe Renault UK, added: “With its exceptional ease-of-use, the Renault ZOE is ideal for its varying roles with Europcar and E-Car Club. As the businesses have already discovered, i

t’s an immensely simple, relaxing and rewarding car for anyone to drive, with motorists adapting to its advanced technology just seconds after getting behind the wheel. With no gears to worry about and a variety of convenient charging options, it’s simply a case of get in and go with the absolute minimum of fuss.”

The ZOE is an all-electric, five-door supermini available in three trim levels that comes with a high level of standard specification, including items such as climate control and sat-nav. 

ZOE also has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and was recently awarded the title of What Car? ‘Best Electric Car for less than £20,000’ for the third consecutive year, and ‘Best Electric Vehicle’ in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey. In 2016, ZOE was awarded a Which? Best Buy.

ZOE is fitted with a patented Chameleon™ charger that, unlike other EVs, always allows ZOE to make the best use of whatever charging supply is available in order to speed up charging times. ZOE Dynamique Nav Rapid Charge can charge at up to 43kW, meaning that 0 to 80 per cent full can be achieved in as little as 30 minutes. 

For retail customers with a domestic address and off street parking, a 7kW Homecharger will also be fully installed free of charge enabling ZOE to be charged from flat-to-full in just 3-4 hours.

The model’s official NEDC range, depending on version, is up to 149 miles – Renault estimates that in real-world driving conditions that this equates to around 106 miles in summer and 71 miles in winter.

ZOE is available to purchase in two ways. Firstly, under a battery hire scheme, where ZOE pricing starts at £13,945 after the Government Plug-in Car Grant with battery leasing from £45 per month. Benefits include a lifetime performance guarantee for the battery and 24/7 roadside assistance – even if you run out of charge.

You can also buy your ZOE outright. ZOE i ‘full purchase’ models start from £18,945 after the Government Plug-in Car Grant, giving the buyer full ownership of the car and battery and no monthly battery lease payment.

Renault offers a range of electric vehicles to suit private and commercial requirements. In addition to the ZOE hatchback, the Renault EV range comprises of the innovative, two-seater Twizy city car, 

Twizy Cargo that offers a load area of 180 litres and a useful 75 kg payload, and the Kangoo Z.E and Kangoo Maxi Z.E vans that combine the same generous load capacity and options as the equivalent diesel versions with ultra-low running costs.

Nissan officially hands over the first tranche of cars, amounting to 4,200 in total, to the Olympic committee for Rio 2016.

• Overall, the Japanese company will supply about 4,200 vehicles to the Games
• Official handover event held at Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, where archery competitions will take place

The vehicle fleet that will be used during the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games was officially delivered today by automotive partner Nissan to the Local Organizing Committee. The company will supply about 4,200 vehicles comprising various models to meet the many day-to-day mobility needs during the Games.

The official delivery ceremony was held at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, one of the city’s landmarks and the venue which will host archery events during the Games. Attending the ceremony were Francois Dossa, President of Nissan Brazil, and Sidney Levy, Rio 2016 Organizing Committee’s General Director. The Brazilian queen of basketball, former player Hortencia Marcari, who is Team Nissan’s mentor, was invited to represent the Brazilian athletes.

The Olympic fleet features cars from various categories and sizes to ensure comfort and best use across many different activities. Among the models, there will be more than 200 of the first-of-its kind Nissan Kicks crossover. The car, developed and designed to reflect the vibrant culture, style and colors of Brazil, is the official vehicle of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is being incorporated into the Games before it even reaches Nissan’s stores in Brazil on August 5, in a world premiere. Besides Kicks, the fleet includes the Nissan March, Versa, Sentra, Altima and the mid-size truck Frontier.

The models will be used for transporting thousands of athletes, delegation members, and guests, for supporting operational activities and also some competitions. The fleet will be driven by volunteers selected by the Organizing Committee.

"Over the past several years, we have worked very closely with the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee on a variety of activities, but the fleet delivery is an important moment for us because this directly involves our vehicles, most of which were produced in Brazil. We know how important it is to ensure the mobility of the athletes and Olympic family with comfort, agility and low carbon emissions, since all our passenger cars currently manufactured in the country have a grade A in energy efficiency, the best possible score", says François Dossa, President of Nissan Brazil.

Nissan Brazil is an official sponsor of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In addition to the Olympic fleet, the company will have a presence at the Olympic Live Sites and is developing activations to engage all Brazilians and visitors at the event. Additionally, Nissan is sponsoring the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays and the Brazilian Olympic Team, which includes a number of athletes from Team Nissan - a project created by the company in 2012 and formed by 31 Brazilian athletes and para-athletes.

For more information on the announcement and to find out more about Nissan Brazil’s Olympic activities, please find on http://nissannews.com/en/rio-2016

BMW of America is supplying 100 BMW i3 Electric Vehicles to the Los Angeles Police Department.

BMW of North America today announced that it has won its bid to supply the Los Angeles Police Department with 100 fully-electric BMW i3 vehicles for use in the department’s transportation fleet.

This announcement comes after a field trial during which a BMW i3 was evaluated alongside other EVs on the streets of Los Angeles as part of the LAPD’s every day fleet. 

Ultimately, the BMW i3 was selected due to a combination of EPA rated best-in-class efficiency, reliability and state-of-the-art ConnectedDrive services, which can be used to support fleet management applications.

BMW’s extensive knowledge of charging infrastructure and the availability of a large network of BMW i centers for servicing the fleet in a convenient and cost effective way also played into the decision.

“We should be thinking green in everything we do — and these new EVs show how local government can lead,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Our sustainability plan pushes L.A. to speed adoption of greener practices and technologies, which also save money and resources.”  

“The attributes of the BMW i3 position it to excel as the ideal vehicle for municipal organizations. 

The performance and technical capabilities, such as the BMW i3 ‘s acceleration, and its ConnectedDrive integration, are perfectly suited to transform the future mobility of the Los Angeles Police Department while also reducing their carbon footprint,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America.  

The BMW i3 police cars began hitting the streets of Los Angeles this spring badged with an LAPD insignia. As the department’s non-emergency fleet vehicles, the BMW i3s will be used throughout the department as transportation vehicles for officers and in community outreach initiatives.  

BMW's software data system will integrate with the LAPD's fleet management system which will allow the department to electronically receive critical vehicle data needed to effectively maintain their fleet.  

BMW is also designing a web tool that will allow the department to track their fleet in near real-time, contributing to improved deployment, utilization, and the efficient charging of their fleet of BMW i3s. 

Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based distributed energy resource solutions, will supply 100 Level 2 chargers and four DC fast chargers to LAPD.

Due in large part to its compact size and use of light-weight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) in its construction, the sustainable, fully-electric BMW i3 has a tight turning radius and the agility needed to navigating congested city streets.

The Traditional Yellow fleet of Vans from Ford continues with another 550 Transit Connect's & Couriers to The AA.

Ford will deliver more than 550 Ford Transit Custom and Courier vans to the AA, maintaining its 50 per cent share of the motoring organisation’s distinctive 3,000-vehicle fleet.

The bulk of the AA’s order is for Ford Transit Custom, with around 400 being fitted by Ambrosetti UK with the AA’s new recovery trailer system, heavy duty electrical systems, special equipment racking and the organisation’s trademark yellow livery.

In one of the largest orders to date for the recently launched Ford Transit Courier, the AA is taking 70 examples for use by agents selling memberships across the UK.

A further 70 Ford Transit Custom models are equipped as AA Battery Assist vehicles which carry a wide range of replacement batteries and offer a 24/7 roadside fitment service for AA members. There will also be nine Ford Transit Customs kitted out as AA Fuel Assist vehicles, on call to members who have misfuelled their car.

This year’s order takes the AA’s total delivery of Ford Transit Custom models to almost 850 in the two years since the van was launched. It’s a popular choice among the AA’s technicians: “Ford Transit Custom is very well received,” says AA commercial vehicle fleet engineer, Chris Wiltshire. “Technicians like the working space, the cab and driving position, and we like it for the best load area in class, enhanced towing capacity and very good whole-life costs.”

James Powell, Ford direct sales business manager, said: “This order further strengthens the ties between Ford and the AA, as Ford already has a long-running arrangement to supply 2,000 cars annually to the AA Driving School.

“We are pleased that the AA finds the Ford Transit Custom and Ford Transit Courier ideal for its needs, a cost-effective purchase and a valuable addition to its fleet of vehicles, many of which are doing vital work to help motorists stranded at the roadside.”

The VW Transporter must be good, the AA has just requested a supply of 500 units to assist motorists.

• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles secures new contract with the AA
• Volkswagen to supply more than 500 Transporters to bolster AA fleet
• Transporters chosen for reliability,  efficiency and servicing packages

Whether they’re suffering from a flat battery in Falkirk or a breakdown in Brighton, around 15 million people in the UK who rely on the AA for roadside assistance will soon welcome the sight of a full-equipped Volkswagen Transporter arriving to help get them back on the road. 

That’s because a new agreement will see more than 500 Transporters, including around 70 4MOTION all-wheel-drive versions, added to the AA’s patrol fleet – a move that will ensure  stranded motorists across the country are rescued by one of the most reliable and dependable vans on the road.

Key factors in the AA’s decision to add to its fleet of patrol vehicles included the Transporter’s payload capabilities, safety features and adaptable load area. Like all Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the AA’s new Transporters will benefit from Volkswagen’s award winning aftersales programme, and with more than 70 dedicated Volkswagen Van Centres across the UK, patrols will never be far away from warranty support.

The Transporters will be painted in the AA’s distinctive yellow trademark colour at the Volkswagen factory in Hannover. The vehicles will also be converted for purpose with specialist racking to accommodate the AA’s tow system, tools and additional equipment.

Sarah Millward, Commercial Director, AA Road Operations, commented: ‘Our members rely on us throughout the year for efficient roadside recovery, therefore when looking at manufacturers to bolster our fleet we took into account vehicle performance, value for money and servicing packages. The Volkswagen Transporter was an ideal fit for our fleet thanks to its drivability and load space combined with the reliability of Volkswagen engineering.’

Chris Black, Head of Fleet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, added: ‘We work in partnership with the AA which offers exclusive round-the-clock support and care for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle customers, and we are delighted that from 2015, AA members will receive roadside assistance from patrols in Transporter vehicles.’