A fleet of electric vehicles from the Renault-Nissan Alliance will shuttle United Nations delegates at its Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, the world’s largest environmental summit.
The conference, which runs from June 13-22, marks the first time the UN will use a dedicated zero-emission electric vehicle fleet for shuttling its delegates.
More than 50,000 delegates, including 400 from the UN, are expected to attend the summit – nicknamed “Rio+20” – to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations’ Earth Summit in Rio, where countries agreed to a blueprint for economic growth, social equity and environmental protection.
“One important subject of Rio+20 is the ‘sustainable city,’ and zero-emission vehicles can be an integral part ensuring quality of life in urban areas,” said Kathleen Abdalla, Chief of the organization and logistics of Rio+20 at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “We are glad to have zero-emission vehicles added to our fleet. In this way, we can see and demonstrate how EVs can reduce noise pollution and eliminate tailpipe emissions. In Brazil, where most electricity is generated from renewable and local sources, electric vehicles are an excellent low carbon transport option.”
Shuttles throughout the RioCentro convention area include:
– Renault Fluence Z.E., a family sedan that went on sale late last year in Europe;
– Renault Kangoo Z.E., an electric light commercial van named International Van of the Year 2012; and
– Nissan LEAF, the top-selling EV in history with more than 32,000 units sold on three continents.
The all-new Renault Twizy, a two-seat urban commuter vehicle that went on sale in Europe this spring, will also be on display at the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) booth in the HSBC Arena. Test drives will also be available.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
