Eric Basset, managing director, Renault Ireland; Sandra Rea, Renault EV project manager and the newly recruited electric vehicle (EV) ambassadors, pictured with the Kangoo ZE van, which will be launched in Ireland in November. Photo: Maxwell's
Having recently created 22 new positions, Renault in Ireland is now on a clean-tech roll in the lead-up to its launch of the all-electric Kangoo ZE van in November. The dealership has just recruited seven new EV ambassadors to communicate Renault’s green vehicle vision to consumers.
Renault launched a type of recruitment/CSR campaign in July, seeking candidates from its car dealerships around the country to come forward as ambassadors for its electric-vehicle segment.
Today, Renault has announced seven electric vehicle ambassadors:
- Emma Heduan: P O’Brien’s, Mullingar, Co Westmeath
- Donna Lambe: Blackstone Motors, Drogheda, Co Louth
- Edward Courtney: Joe Mallon Motors, Naas, Co Kildare
- Brian Devaney: BCMG, Galway
- Michael Daly: Kearys Renault Cork
- Robert Dunne: BCMG, Liffey Valley, Dublin
- Ciaran O’Mahony: BCMG, Airside, Swords, Dublin
These ambassadors will help to build awareness and assist customers who are opting to go down the electric car route, according to Renault.
In addition to local training to expand their knowledge of EVs, the seven ambassadors will also fly to Seville in October for further electric vehicle training to prepare the Renault dealer network for the launch of the Kangoo ZE to the Irish marketplace in November.
And while the EV ambassadors will be experts in their field, the company says the entire Renault network will be fully trained to sell electric vehicles.
Renault Twizy – a two-seater quadricycle suitable for urban driving, as it fits in neatly in parking spaces
Following the arrival of the Kangoo ZE in Ireland, Renault will then focus on introducing the Fluence ZE to the Irish marketplace in early 2012. Also in 2012, Renault will be launching the Twizy, an urban two-seater quadricycle, and the ZOE, a stylish compact hatch.
“Interest in the roles was very high and a huge number of applications were received,” said Sandra Rea, Electric Vehicle project manager at Renault Ireland. “These new recruits will be responsible for a number of tasks in the electric vehicle area.”
The future of clean driving
Renault is aiming to be a leader in the EV field. ESB Electric Ireland is responsible for placing the electric car charging points in strategic points around the country so people will be able to enjoy longer, noiseless journeys in EVs. ESB ecars also installs home chargers, that can fit easily in people’s garages.
EV’s through the decades: from a 1961 production car based on the Renault Dauphine to the slick Californian EV company Tesla, which is best-known for its Roadster model
Electric vehicles were first introduced in the early 19th century, but manufacturers decided to instead pursue the internal combustion engine as a means of propelling cars. All this has changed in recent times, as the high price of oil, which is infinite in its resources, and the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels, has forced car manufacturers globally to rethink their strategies and to enter the race to come up with the most efficient, cheapest and environmentally friendly cars of the future.
The first mass-produced hybrid gas-electric car, the Toyota Prius, was introduced in 2003. Meanwhile, the all-electric Nissan LEAF made its debut in 2010. Renault’s Kangoo ZE, in particular, looks set to play a role in the future of cleaner commercial fleets.
