Groupe Renault introduces fuel-cell range extenders into its light commercial electric vehicles

Groupe Renault is extending the range of its electric light commercial vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells. Renault KANGOO Z.E. Hydrogen will be available at the end of 2019 and Renault MASTER Z.E. Hydrogen in 2020.

Tested since 2014, Groupe Renault’s hydrogen technology was developed in partnership with Symbio, a Groupe Michelin subsidiary.

The vehicles are equipped with a range extender fuel cell providing electric and thermal power of 10 kW, increasing the range of Renault MASTER Z.E. Hydrogen and Renault KANGOO Z.E. Hydrogen to more than 350 km (217 miles).

Another advantage of hydrogen is that charging takes just five to ten minutes. Hydrogen responds to the requirements of professionals not yet to be fulfilled by electric vehicles, notably for their long-distance travel needs.

Expected in first-half 2020, Renault MASTER Z.E. Hydrogen will triple the range from 120 km to 350 km and will be available in van (two versions) and chassis cab (two versions). Equipped with two hydrogen tanks located under the car body, the vehicle will gain in versatility with no compromises on the load volume from 10.8 m³ to 20 m³ with a reasonable additional weight of 200 kg.

From the end of 2019, Renault KANGOO Z.E. Hydrogen will boast the best real-life range of any electric van on the market at 370 km (230 miles) (vs 230 km.143 miles WLTP with Kangoo Z.E.). With a load volume of 3.9 m³, despite a reasonable additional weight of 110 kg, this vehicle will be available in France at €48,300 ex. VAT (including the battery purchase and not including ecological bonuses).

Groupe Renault considers hydrogen electric light commercial vehicles particularly suitable for the intensive needs and uses of professionals in large urban areas up to the periphery of cities: transport and logistics, urban deliveries and multi-technical services, municipal and local authority services, express and special mail.

Renault 'HyKangoo' electric delivery van with Symbio FCell hydrogen fuel-cell range extender

Hydrogen fuel cells have often been viewed as alternatives to large battery packs for powering electric vehicles.

But what if a small hydrogen fuel cell could be used in a battery-electric vehicle--solely as a range extender?

The French postal service, La Poste, is about to test that concept in three Renault Kangoo ZE small delivery vans.

Renault 'HyKangoo' electric delivery van with Symbio FCell hydrogen fuel-cell range extender

Twice the range, zero emissions

The goal is to double the range, letting La Poste use zero-emission electric Kangoos on its longer routes and in more challenging terrain with steep hills.

The fuel cells come from Symbio FCell, based in Paris, and they'll be deployed in three "HyKangoo" small vans that will go into service by March.

They'll be tested on mail routes of 62 miles (100 km) or more through the cold, mountainous terrain of the Franche-Comté region--which borders Switzerland, and has the Vosges mountains to the north and the Jura range to the south.

When the range extender concept, originally developed for chemical giant Solvay, was offered to La Poste, the delivery group instantly saw it as solving a crucial range limitation.

Greening the fleet

La Poste today operates the world's largest electric-vehicle fleet, and it intends to electrify all 60,000 of its vehicles by 2050 or before.

More than 70 percent of its vehicles cover 62 miles or more per day, which currently limits use of Kangoo ZE vans to less than one-third of its routes. The fuel-cell range extender is expected to expand their use to a large majority of regions covered.

Renault 'HyKangoo' electric delivery van with Symbio FCell hydrogen fuel-cell range extender

"The fuel cell solution improves winter working conditions for postal workers by providing better heating and defogging without impacting battery performance," said Jean-François Courtoy, Industrial Director for La Poste in Franche Comté.

"In addition, it makes replacing the diesel vehicles that are used today for longer routes possible. This will significantly improve our level of global CO₂ emissions.

5-kW stack

The Kangoo ZE is driven by a 44-kilowatt (70-horsepower) electric motor, powered by a 22-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Its range is rated at about 100 miles (160 km) on the European cycle, though in the U.S., its EPA-equivalent range might be as low as 70 miles.

The fuel cell, along with a reinforced 1.3-cubic-foot (38-liter) tank holding 3.8 pounds (1.72 kg) of hydrogen compressed at 5000 psi (35 mPa), is said to add a further 100 miles. At full power, roughly 0.7 lb 0.1 lb (0.3 kg) of hydrogen is consumed per hour.

According to Symbio FCell, the hydrogen-powered range extender is based on a system of 5-kW stacks--the HyKangoo uses a 5-kW system--and can be sized to provide output from 5 kW to 20 kW using one to four modules.

The entire system fits under the cargo floor, with no compromise to load volume. it recharges the battery directly, with beneficial effects on battery life because deep discharge cycles can be avoided.

A side benefit, Chauvet said, is the ability to use waste heat from the stack to heat the driver's cabin--further reducing load on the battery, which would otherwise have to provide range-consuming resistance heat.

Renault 'HyKangoo' electric delivery van with Symbio FCell hydrogen fuel-cell range extender

Cost-competitive with diesel

The first three vehicles cost about $68,800 (€50,000) after a French government environmental incentive is deducted, according to Symbio FCell's Bertrand Chauvet.

At that cost, La Poste calculates that the lifetime running costs of the HyKangoo will be no more than the diesel-engined Kangoo vans they use today, including the cost of diesel fuel.

The company hopes to cut the delivered cost of a HyKangoo to $48,200 (€35,000) once series production begins, Chauvet said. Similar systems will be offered next year for boats, trucks, and buses as well.

Thus far, Symbio FCell has shipped five HyKangoos to customers, and it hopes to ship 100 such vehicles during 2014--and 1,000 or more in 2015, once real-world usage data is available.

La Poste will use hydrogen fuel purchased from an industrial supplier, though it hopes to use electrolysis to split out hydrogen from a feedstock in the future.

The French administrative process to install such a process, Chauvet said, is "very constraining" and will take at least a year to complete.

Source: Green Car Reports

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Double Renault EV Range

French automaker Renault is one-half of the Nissan-Renault alliance, and that means they’ve got access to a large bin of electric vehicle parts. Renault has launched four electric vehicles, including the Kangoo Z.E. electric delivery van that has been by France’s postal service. These vans are getting a hydrogen fuel cell range extender that doubles their driving range and service potential.

Renault will deploy three Kangoo delivery vans with hydrogen-range extenders (called HyKangoos, hehe) witha a wider range of applications. The stacks come in 5 kW modules, and the HyKangoo uses a 10 kW stack and can hold 38 liters of clean-burning hydrogen.

This small-scale test aims to see just how cost effective hydrogen fuel cell hybrids could be compared with diesel or electric cars. While the infrastructure for hydrogen fuel is far from in place, ever-higher fuel taxes in Europe are making the clean-burning fuel an increasingly attractive alternative. The hydrogen system is especially important for cold weather usage, as electric vehicles suffer from range drain due to cold weather and energy-intensive heating systems. La Poste had pledged to have 10,000 EVs in service by the end of 2011, and is among the cleanest postal fleets in the world.

From rotary engines to city electric cars, “range extenders” are increasingly big business, even for companies like Lotus that don’t have much of a “green tradition.” If the price of the technology continues to come down, perhaps hydrogen fuel cells really can replace pure electric cars.

Source: Green Car Congress

DHL France adding 50 Renault Kangoo Z.E. and ZOE EVs to fleet by 2015

Renault will supply DHL France with a fleet of electric vehicles by 2015. A total 50 vehicles—Kangoo Z.E. and ZOE models— have already been confirmed. The first four—which are Kangoo Z.E. models— will be delivered by the end of 2012.

The new partnership strengthens the cooperation between Renault and DHL in the development of electric vehicles in France.

Renault chose DHL in 2011 to manage the logistics of battery shipments to all Z.E. centers and expert sites across France. DHL, the global leader in transport and logistics, chose Renault to help it develop the use of electric vehicles as part of its activities.

Additional orders will depend on different potential needs.

First production Kangoo Z.E. rolls off the line in France

PRESS RELEASE

The first series-produced Kangoo Z.E. at Maubeuge, in the presence of Mr. Ghosn and Mr. Besson
Forty-seven days before Kangoo Z.E. reaches the showrooms, Éric Besson, French Minister for Industry, Energy and the Digital Economy, and Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Renault Group, are touring the Maubeuge production facility.

MCA (Maubeuge Carrosserie Automobile), a wholly owned Renault subsidiary, is the sole production site for the Kangoo Z.E. range, comprising Kangoo Z.E. and Kangoo Maxi Z.E. (2- and 5-seater).
On sale from October 2011 with a sticker price starting at 15,000 euros (ex VAT and including 5,000 euros of tax incentives, notably in France), Kangoo Z.E. is the first affordable all-electric van, designed and manufactured in France.
To keep pace with the production ramp-up, Carlos Ghosn confirms that nearly 100 people will be hired at Maubeuge in 2011.


The very first Kangoo Z.E. came off the production line on September 22, 2010. Since then, 68 vehicles were produced in 2010, and 281 in 2011 (to end July). These pre-production models intend for pilot operations involving the roll-out of electric vehicles both in France, such as the SAVE project (Seine Aval Vehicle Électrique), and abroad.

As a French company with an international outlook and a strong attachment to its industrial presence and employment in its home country, Renault is heavily involved in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, where it has four manufacturing facilities. As the production ramps up at Maubeuge, a total of nearly 100 people are hired at MCA in 2011.

Renault has signed the "Charter for the industrial production of electric vehicles", adopted on September 6 by France's ministry of industry.


Renault Kangoo Z.E., the first affordable all-electric van, designed and manufactured in France, is part of Renault's zero-emission* strategy.

With Kangoo Z.E., Renault is offering a vehicle that is accessible to everyone, thanks to:

its sticker price, comparable to that of an internal combustion Kangoo (minus government subsidies),
the electric vehicle's maintenance cost, around 20% lower in France.

Renault has been Europe's leading producer of light commercial vehicles since 1998, with market share of 15.9% in Europe and 32.5% in France in 2010. It now aims to set the standard for electric vans. By adding electric models to its commercial vehicle range, Renault has what it takes to consolidate its position in Europe's LCV market.

* zero-emission in use.

Renault and the electric vehicle in France

In addition to the Maubeuge plant, Renault's entire industrial infrastructure in France is benefiting from the momentum created by the electric vehicle:

- More than 1,000 Renault engineers in France, especially at the Technocentre at Guyancourt, have been actively involved for nearly three years in designing the company's electric cars and ensuring their quality and safety.
- The Flins plant will begin production of ZOE next year and will assemble batteries from 2014 onwards.
- The Cléon plant will start producing electric engines in 2013.
- Renault is joining forces with the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to design the batteries of the future.
- 80% of Renault's electric vehicles will be produced in France.


Renault in the Nord Pas de Calais region

Renault is the biggest industrial employer in the Nord Pas de Calais region of northern France. The Group has four industrial plants in the area: the Georges Besse facility at Douai (Scénic, Grand Scénic, Mégane Coupé Cabriolet), MCA at Maubeuge (Kangoo, Kangoo Express), Française de Mécanique at Douvrin (1.2 liter gasoline engines) and STA Ruitz (automatic transmissions). Certified to ISO 14 001 standard, all four plants are environment friendly.
Inspired by its brand signature "Drive the Change", Renault is preparing for the future in Nord Pas de Calais.

Renault and commercial vehicles

Europe's leading producer of LCVs since 1998, Renault offers a wide choice of vehicles with capacities ranging from 2 to 22 cubic meters (diversity, partner products, customized vehicles) to respond to the demands of professionals.

The roll-out of the Renault Pro+ network, launched in 2009, is already more than half-way complete, with 230 centers out of the 400 planned for end 2012. The aim is to offer a one stop shop that caters to business customers' needs in specialized premises and with dedicated sales staff.

2010 is a banner year with an overall 15.9% market share (compact vans, small and large panel vans).

In the compact van segment, Kangoo LCV is market leader with 17.1% in Europe (including France) and 32.3% in France.

About Renault

Present on all continents with over 30 production sites and 18,000 business sites in 118 countries, Renault designs, produces and sells a broad range of innovative vehicles that with each new generation are increasingly safe and more respectful of the environment. The company is pursuing its strategy of profitable growth with associate brands Dacia and Renault Samsung Motors and strategic partner AvtoVAZ. Renault has a workforce of 121,000 worldwide. In 2010 it reported revenues of €38,971 million and sold over 2.6 million vehicles.