Air Quality

The Fully Electric Marrakech Express Is Coming To COP22 Via The Renault-Nissan Alliance

Published

October 9, 2016

I offer many test drives and rides in my oh-so-appreciated Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf often leaves a roomy, comfortable experience in the rider’s memory. That’s why I came back for it. The top comments I get from passengers are:

“Smooth.”
“Quiet.”
“So spacious in the back seat.”
“So roomy in the back seat.”

Yes, there’s a lot of comfort and room in these fully electric vehicles, which it’s just been announced will be used to transport delegates to COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco.

A Nissan press release notes, “The Renault-Nissan Alliance, the world leader in zero-emission mobility, will provide a fleet of 50 all-electric vehicles as the official passenger-car provider for the United Nation’s COP22 Climate Conference in Marrakech, Morocco. The fully electric fleet will shuttle delegates.”

The Alliance’s fleet dedicated to COP22 will include the Renault ZOE, Nissan LEAF, and e-NV200. In addition, >20 charging stations will be set up in Marrakech to support the fleet and future EV adoption in the area.

Here’s more from the report from Casablanca, Morocco:

“More than 25,000 participants from 195 countries expected to attend the annual climate summit Nov. 7–18. It marks the second time the United Nations will use a zero-emission shuttle fleet in support of public transport at one of its major conferences.”
“The COP22 fleet will feature the Renault ZOE subcompact car, the Nissan LEAF compact car, and the seven-seat Nissan e-NV200 van. The vehicles will be available to shuttle delegates 24 hours, seven days a week to key venues at the conference, as a complement to public transportation.”
“The Alliance will also provide a network of more than 20 accelerated and standard charging stations at strategic locations. The accelerated charging stations will be able to charge the EVs from 0 to 80 percent in about one hour.”
“With six models, [the Renault-Nissan Alliance] has already sold more than 360,000 electric vehicles worldwide.”
“Nissan LEAF, launched in 2010, remains the industry’s best-selling EV. Renault ZOE is the best-performing EV in Europe.”
“The Alliance has sold about half of the electric vehicles on the road globally today including the Renault Twizy two-seat, urban commuter vehicle, and the Nissan e-NV200 van, which has been on sale in Europe and Japan since 2014.”
“In addition, the Renault-Nissan’s Tangier, Morocco, plant is designed to move towards “zero CO2″ emissions through the use of renewable resources, for thermal energy produced on site, as well as its purchased electricity. The plant began operations in 2012, and its approach remains unique in the automobile industry.”

In Morocco, Renault Group is the only major automaker to market a range of fully electric vehicles. Thanks to COP22 and the desire of the kingdom to develop low-carbon technology, several companies are now deciding to go with 100% electric fleets.

“The Renault-Nissan Alliance is proud to contribute to COP22 by providing a fleet of 50 100% electric vehicles,” said Marc Nassif, managing director of Renault Morocco Group and Alliance COP22 leader. “This technology, coupled with an increasingly decarbonized electric mix, is the solution for individual mobility to address the issue of global warming and enhance air quality in our cities.”

Isao Sekiguchi, managing director of the North Africa Region and Egypt for Nissan Group, agreed.

“Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today. The Renault-Nissan Alliance was not only quick to recognize the important contribution the automotive industry could make to the collective effort to tackle emissions, but was also quick to act.”

And we can thank Renault-Nissan for that.

Here are some memories of peace-loving Marrakech visitors from past times:

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In this article:Carbon Emissions, COP22, EU, Marrakesh, Nissan, Nissan Leaf, Renault, Renault Zoe, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, UK, Waste Reduction

Written By Cynthia Shahan

Cynthia Shahan started writing after previously doing research and publishing work on natural birth practices. (Several unrelated publications) She is a licensed health care provider. She studied and practiced both Waldorf education, and Montessori education, mother of four unconditionally loving spirits.