The Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide the world’s largest electric-vehicle fleet ever to an international conference. As the official passenger-car provider for the United Nation’s COP21 climate conference in Paris, the Alliance will provide 200 pure electric vehicles to the annual summit which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
Together, the vehicles are expected to cover more than 400,000 km, emitting zero emissions while shuttling delegates during the 21st annual Conference of Parties (better known as COP21). More than 20,000 U.N. participants from 195 countries are expected to attend COP21.
“Electric vehicles are a practical and affordable mode of transportation. At the same time, they offer a solution for drastically reducing tailpipe CO2 emissions. They also reduce regulated exhaust pollutants, helping us to improve the air quality in our cities. Together, the public and private sectors can accelerate the transition to a zero-emission society,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
The COP21 car fleet will feature the Renault ZOE subcompact car, 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 a week to and from the Le Bourget conference venue, as a complement to public transportation.
This marks the first time the U.N. will use a zero-emission or 100% electric fleet for its entire passenger-car shuttle at a climate summit.
The 100% electric cars will be driven by a team of 200 professional drivers and 200 volunteers from Renault and Nissan. In June, the Renault-Nissan Alliance launched a call for volunteers to allow employees in and around Paris the opportunity to be part of COP21 as volunteer drivers. The response was overwhelming with more than 450 employees applying before the recruitment process was closed. The 200 successful Renault and Nissan applicants, as well as the professional drivers, will undergo a rigorous training program in preparation for the event.
