The Dongfeng Renault Automotive Company (DRAC), an equally owned Chinese joint venture between car manufacturers Dongfeng and Renault, has announced the introduction of an all-electric vehicle based on the Fluence ZE in 2017. The China-only EV will be badged under a new sub-brand from Dongfeng, and will be produced at DRAC’s Wuhan plant in China.
The electric Fluence sedan is powered by a 22 kWh Li-ion battery pack, with a synchronous 94bhp motor producing 23.04kgm of torque, which enables the car to do the 0-100kph sprint in a claimed 13 seconds; top speed is 134kph. More importantly, the EV delivers an expected range of 185km on a full charge.
The new EV is a part of DRAC’s long-term plan to bring in five new cars into China, which includes two SUVs, two sedans and one electric vehicle. The venture also forms part of a larger push within China to produce more EVs. With an initial annual capacity of 1,50,000 cars, DRAC plans on upscaling its EV production to 6,00,000 vehicles per year by the end of the decade.