The Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide a fleet of 200 all-electric vehicles as the official passenger-car provider for the United Nation’s COP21 climate conference in Paris later this year.
The partnership agreement was signed today between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and the General Secretary in charge of the preparation and organization of the 21st annual Conference of Parties (better known as COP21). The fully electric car fleet will shuttle delegates during the event from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
More than 20,000 U.N. participants from 195 countries are expected to attend the annual climate summit. It will be the first time the U.N. will use a zero-emission fleet for its entire passenger car shuttle at a COP event.
The goals of the Paris summit are to have a new global climate-change agreement in place by the end of 2015 and to have the Climate Green Fund, established to help developing countries adapt to climate change and reduce emissions, start allocating funds.
“We are delighted to announce that the Renault-Nissan Alliance is an official partner of COP21 in Paris. Thanks to the Alliance’s fleet of 100% electric vehicles, it will contribute to our goal of achieving a carbon neutral event. The technology of electric vehicles helps reduce greenhouse gases in the transportation sector efficiently,” said Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, President of COP21.
The COP21 car fleet will feature the Renault ZOE subcompact car, the Renault Kangoo Z.E. van, the Renault Fluence Z.E. sedan, the Nissan LEAF compact car and the 7-seater Nissan e-NV200 van. The vehicles will be available to shuttle delegates 24 hours, seven days week to key venues around the conference, as a complement to public transportation.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance will work with companies in France to set up a network of more than 50 quick and standard charging stations powered by 100% renewable energy in strategic locations. The quick charging stations will be able to charge the EVs from 0 to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes.
“Electric vehicle technology is an efficient solution for a practical and affordable mode of transportation. This solution has a positive impact on the climate and air quality in our cities,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. “It’s time to accelerate the shift to zero-emission mobility by working together with all parties concerned.”
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the global leader in zero-emission vehicles and the only automaker with a full range of 100% electric vehicles. The Alliance has sold more than 238,000 EVs globally since December 2010, when the Alliance’s first electric vehicle – the Nissan LEAF – went on sale. The Alliance sells about one out of two electric vehicles worldwide, including Twizy, Renault’s two-seater urban commuter vehicle, and the Nissan e-NV200 van, which has been on sale in Europe and Japan since 2014.
The Alliance will also participate in Solutions COP21, an international exhibition on climate-change solutions, at the Grand Palais in Paris. The exhibition, which will take place Dec. 4-10, will feature CO2 solutions from cities, businesses and other organizations around the world. In addition to an EV display, the Alliance will have more than 10 EVs available for the public to test drive.
