The president of Renault, Carlos Ghosn, announced today that the French automotive group will join Zoe

The president of Renault, Carlos Ghosn, announced today that the French automotive group will join Zoe, one of four electric cars that will develop in the French plant in Flins, which also manufactured the batteries and eventually for other competition cars.

The first assembled in Flins Zoe will leave its assembly in the first half of 2012, Ghosn said, he emphasized that this model is called to represent two thirds of all electric vehicles that the company intends to market (including therefore the four models in the works).

Renault's president declined to specify what the other electric car that his group is committed to produce in France, nor is to be attributed to the Spanish plant in Valladolid, where the company has also said it will manufacture one, probably the Fluence .

"Flins will be the focus of our activity electric vehicle," said Ghons in this plant during the signing ceremony of establishment of the new company dedicated to the production of batteries, which involves an investment of 600 million euros between now and 2013.

The production of lithium-ion batteries starting in 2012 at a rate of 100,000 units per year, cadence should happen to 250,000 annually by 2015, said French Industry Minister Christian Estrosi.

The new company for these batteries the car is the Renault-Nissan alliance, together with the Strategic Investment Fund (FSI, created by the French) that will put 125 million euros and the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA, another French public body ) that provide engineers and scientists to develop new technologies.

Estrosi also noted that injection of FSI in the 600 million complex planned for the production of batteries, the French state awarded 204 million euros in loans.

The minister expressed confidence that other car manufacturers are sourcing from the battery factory in Flins, citing specifically the other French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, which by now he plans to produce batteries for electric models.

Moreover, for the assembly unit Zoe, Flins receive another 100 million euros in aid, an amount similar to the French government will attribute to other car manufacturers active in France (including PSA Peugeot Citroen).

Although no figures entered, the president of the French company reiterated that the price of an electric car is similar to an equivalent diesel model, although that price does not include batteries, which will go on to rent.

The monthly rent, Apostille, will be below actual costs is the average purchase fuel.

Ghosn reaffirmed its forecast that by 2020, up 10% of cars marketed in the world will be electric, and to support referred to surveys that suggest which 8% of European car buyers are power as first choice. MarketWatch