Renault parts and servicing costs tend to be quite reasonable. The Fluence also has few moving parts or consumable items, which further helps keep costs low. Service intervals are on a yearly basis, or every 12,000 miles, which means more frequent visits to your dealership than you’d need with a conventional car. After paying for a charging point, the actual cost to fully charge the Fluence should be negligible – especially if it’s done at night, when electricity rates are low.

You will, however, have to consider the cost of leasing the battery each month. A full tank of diesel costs about the same, and could get you as far as you need to go. On the plus side, besides being free to tax, the Fluence is congestion charge exempt. That alone could save you a substantial amount each year.

With emissions of 0g/km of CO2, it’d be hard to better the Fluence’s green credentials. That power, however, has to come from somewhere. In this case, it’s the national grid. Renault states an emissions figure of around 50g/km of CO2, based on a Fluence being charged at night. That is, regardless, still an impressively low figure. An equivalent eco-diesel, taking into account the energy used to extract the fuel, would emit somewhere in the region of 115g/km of CO2.

Assembling the batteries, however, requires lots of precious, and energy-intensive to extract, materials. That isn’t so great for the environment.

Renault has spent considerable time, covering millions of miles in various conditions, to ensure the longevity and durability of its electric car. The French manufacturer has previously had issues with numerous minor faults but it has been working hard to change that. It’s paid off – recent models have been a vast improvement with regards to both build quality and reliability.

The Fluence itself is covered by a three-year/100,000 mile warranty, while the electric powertrain is covered for five years/100,000 miles. That should give potential buyers a little more confidence in the technology.