The SAVE project is a joint initiative by Renault, EDF, the Yvelines General Council, EPAMSA (Contracting Authority for Seine Aval) and the Île-de-France region to make comprehensive tests on electric vehicles in the territory.

The tests will be made in the geographical area of the Seine Aval national interest operation (OIN), covering 51 towns (four of which with over 30,000 inhabitants) and five intercommunalités (consolidated city-counties). Some 370,000 people live in the Seine Aval area.

Project objectives: 

• To test the business models of electric vehicles and the battery-charging infrastructures.
• To obtain information about driver usage and find out how drivers appreciate the vehicles and the recharging systems.
• To test the associated services: connected services, after-sales services, etc.
• To confirm the carbon inventory of the electric vehicle.
The analysis of the project feedback will be used in the deployment of future public and private charging infrastructures.

• The Renault-Nissan Alliance is coordinating the tests, supplying the electric vehicles (Leaf, Kangoo Express Z.E. and Fluence Z.E.) and studying customer use and associated services, especially in-vehicle and external communication.
• French utility company EDF is contributing to the deployment of charging infrastructure, analysis of user behavior regarding charging and business model tests.
• Schneider Electric is helping to produce charging infrastructure and the associated energy management systems.
• Total is installing and testing rapid charging stations at gas stations.
• EPAMSA is rallying local authorities around the project, facilitating the set-up of charging infrastructures and helping to coordinate the project.
• The Île-de-France region and the Yvelines département are providing financial support and taking part in the working groups. The Yvelines General Council is also using electric vehicles as part of the project.
• ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency, is making a financial contribution through its Demonstrator Research Fund.

The SAVE project has also been made possible thanks to the involvement of many customers who have agreed to take part in the electric mobility adventure. In all, around forty business and private customers will be playing their part in testing a form of mobility that is altogether more environmental friendly. This broad customer base will allow us to test different usages and therefore optimize the quality of the operational feedback: short-distance deliveries, inter-site business travel, visits to customers, etc.

The professional customers were selected by automotive manufacturers. They include Colizen, France Telecom, ERDF, Carrefour, Otis and Eiffage among others.

The private customers are employees of companies and local authorities partnering the SAVE project, as well as Lionel Lallement, "meilleur ouvrier de France".

Overall, around 100 Renault and Nissan electric vehicles will be tested, including Renault Kangoo Z.E., Renault Fluence Z.E. and Nissan Leaf.
 
At least 200 charging stations (standard, semi-rapid and rapid) will be tested as part of the SAVE project. They will be installed at houses and apartment buildings, in company parking lots, private retail parking lots, public parking lots, public highways and in several Total service stations.

A supervision system will be used to remotely coordinate all the charging stations, with remote consumption readings, monitoring of availability, connection/disconnection of the electrical network, etc.