The all-electric vehicle being tested

The planet is warming up. The price of oil is soaring. The willingness of public authorities, long reluctant, is to test the so-called “clean” vehicle. While the United States is already driving hybrid vehicles, in France, this system is slow to catch on with individuals. The Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (Ademe) made a painful finding in 2005: the hybrid electric vehicle represents only 14% of purchases. The only city to persist is Saint-Étienne. It has been practicing the hybrid system since 1998, with the purchase of Cleanova I for its municipal services. The State may put in place subsidies for the purchase of clean vehicles. Nothing works. The French are not eco-conscious in the slightest. The electric vehicle costs too much.
But the public authorities do not admit defeat. They are trying to set an example. Through the installation of tramway networks, buses running on propane, the development of bicycle paths and investments in electric vehicles for municipal services.

Monaco has been practicing a policy firmly oriented towards sustainable development for about ten years. The Prince himself drives an electric vehicle. Even if, lately, he is more likely to be seen in a sports car.
This is why SVE, the Electric Vehicles Company, had proposed “Cleanova II” to State organizations: the Post Office and EDF. In Monegasque terms, this gives the Post Office of Monaco and SMEG (Monegasque Company of Electricity and Gas). Added to these two giants are the all-powerful SBM (Society of the Sea Baths) and the Public Parking Service.

SVE was able to identify in Saint-Étienne and Monaco a fundamental need for a clean vehicle. The two cities are enclosed in a pollution zone, due to an industrial environment, a mountainous setting and an excess of individual cars. Saint-Étienne had experienced the first model of clean vehicle, Cleanova I, a not very high-performing model. Cleanova II promises to work miracles. In the city, it is a 100% clean system that allows to remain autonomous for 200 km. Rechargeable from home, it costs 1 euro in electricity per 100 km. All public parking lots in Monaco are already equipped with free charging stations available to users. No gearbox, no clutch, no oil circuit. The system guarantees a complete absence of air pollution and noise pollution. In the open countryside, Cleanova II is hybrid, soon rechargeable at French service stations, capable of an autonomy of 500 km, in rechargeable hybrid version. Believe the manufacturers, the circuit requires no maintenance, thanks to lithium-ion technology and the electric battery.

Two major industrial groups, Dassault and Heuliez, combined their expertise on this project to create the SVE company. The stakes for them are enormous, given the financial potential in sustainable development. The industrialization of Cleanova II is planned in France. For SVE, it is not a question of prioritizing cost over quality. The hydraulic motor is delicate to handle. The company had therefore chosen Renault vehicles for its experimental period, more specifically the Kangoo model. But the two partners fear a trick from the land of the rising sun. Japan had already launched hybrid models on the French market, through the Toyota Yaris.

For more information:
www.cleanova.com