Renault announces production sites for Z.E. electric cars

Renault's Zero Emissions (Z.E.) range really captured our attention at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show and now the company has confirmed plans to unleash two of the radically designed EVs onto the streets from 2011.

The most unusual - and in our opinion the most relevant to the congested urban roads of the 21st century - of the range is the two-seater Twizy. Renault will build a car based on this concept at the Valladolid plant in Spain from 2011. This plant will also be the production home of new internal combustion engine in 2012.

The company also plans to build a Z.E. supermini at Flins factory on the outskirts of Paris from 2012. This supermini (which we are assuming at this stage is based on the Zoe Z.E. concept shown in Frankfurt) is expected to account for two thirds of Renault Group’s EV sales in Europe.

Flins is also earmarked to become a manufacturing and recycling center for the Renault's EV batteries, a venture which will be strengthened by a recent agreement with Nissan, the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and France’s Strategic Investment Fund (FSI) to tackle EV battery research and recycling.

Renault's plans to "mass-market a complete range of affordable zero-emission electric vehicles" should see cars based on all four concepts shown in Frankfurt - the Fluence, Kangoo Z.E., Twizy and Zoe - reach showrooms in the not too distant future.

Check the gallery for a closer look at all four.