THIS week some of the world’s greatest minds will be able to test-drive the latest in zero-emission technology from the the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the automotive partner of the annual TEDGlobal conference, an event which is attended by some of the world’s finest artists, scientists, economists, philosophers and activists, and aims to answer questions such as ‘How can life be better lived?’
The 2011 TEDGlobal will be held July 11-15 in Edinburgh, and a highlight for nearly 1,000 participants will be driving Renault and Nissan’s zero-emission vehicles at the show.
Available for short test-drives will be the LEAF and the Renault Fluence Z.E (Zero Emission), while the on show at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre will be the Renault Twizy.
The Twizy (pictured right) is an innovative two-seat commuter car with eye-catching styling. It features a 15kW AC motor and has a top speed of 50mph and a range of around 62 miles.
Meanwhile the Fluence Z.E is a full electric five-seat saloon which has innovative patented floor design that allows a fully automated battery pack swap to be undertaken in under five minutes.
That design allowed the Fluence to win the 300 km Inter City Challenge recently – part of the influential 2011 Challenge Bibendum rally – and the car is powered by a 70kW AC motor, has a top speed of 84mph and a range of 115 miles.
‘TEDGlobal is an inspirational five days of thought-provoking presentations designed to provide genuine hope for the future.
‘Similarly, the electric vehicles from the Alliance are the auto industry’s hope for a future where we are no longer dependent on a single, non-renewable form of energy. It’s an excellent partnership,’ said Hideaki Watanabe, Corporate Vice President of the Zero Emission Business Unit at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Renault-Nissan Alliance Managing Director, Zero Emission Business.