Paris 2010: Renault 2011 Fluence Z.E. now available for pre-order

Let the flood gates open wide and the deposits pour in, Renault is officially accepting pre-orders for it 2011 battery-powered Fluence Z.E. Yep, it's another momentous day for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and it just so happens that the automaker choose the grounds of the Paris Motor Show to announce that its electric sedan is ready to roll. Well, almost. Buyers in France, Israel and Denmark will get first crack at piloting their own Fluences by the middle of next year, but first they'll need to place a pre-order ASAP.

Customers who wish to take ownership of the Fluence Z.E. are asked to register at Renault's website and put down a �100 deposit ($137 U.S. at the current exchange rate). Priced at �21,300 ($29,279 U.S.), the Fluence Z.E. might seem like a raging value, but let's not forget that Renault has decided to lease the battery pack separate of the vehicle. Add in another �79 ($109 U.S.) in monthly battery lease fees and what was once a killer deal no longer seems like quite as much of a bargain. However, the Fluence's sticker price still does far less damage to the checkbook than its European competitors like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, so we'd expect the electrified Fluence won't have any trouble finding eager buyers.