Renault has just unveiled an updated version of the Samsung SM3 Z.E., at the Daegu International Future Auto Expo in South Korea.
The Megane-based compact sedan, which is known as Fluence in different parts of the world, has dropped its previous 22kWh battery in favor of a 36kWh unit.
This move is said to have zero impact on the electric sedan’s weight, but as a result, the range has increased by an impressive 57 percent over its predecessor, to 132 miles, or 213 kilometers, as based on the Korean type approval cycle.
According to a Korean Transport Safety Authority (KOTSA) report, the local average daily trip stood at 25 miles (40km) last year, which means that the ‘new’ Renault Samsung SM3 Z.E. will be able to run for some 5 days, in theory, between charges.
Thanks to its mechanical tweaks, this zero-emission compact car is expected to become very popular in South Korea, where state-run fleets and taxi operators are already using the pre-updated version.
Moreover, the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare purchased 1,200 units of the car last April, in a move that should help the brand “strengthen its geographical and segment coverage, and foster a step-up in the electric vehicle market“, according to Renault’s Electric Vehicle SVP, Gilles Normand.
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