As international delegates bring divergent views to the COP15 negotiating table, we’ve seen many of them agree on one thing: the Renault Fluence EV prototype is amazing to drive. Back in 1998, Forbes documented a phenomenon called the “EV Smile,” an involuntary response to driving an electric car for the first time. Here in Copenhagen, we’ve been giving the first test drives of the first (but not the only) car that will operate on the Better Place network, and the “EV Smile” is ever-present among the delegates and media taking it out for a spin.

An Economist correspondent put it like this after his test drive: “The car drives silently, without vibration, which takes getting used to. Audiophiles would love it – with decent speakers in the car, nothing would interfere with the music. As for the handling, the acceleration is faster and smoother than a petrol car from the start; with no gearbox, torque is even through the acceleration.”

The photos above are from the Radisson Blu Scandanavian Hotel, where during COP15 we have been showcasing elements of the Better Place EV network along with a Renault Zoe EV concept car and several Renault Fluence EVs that are plugged into Better Place charge spots between test drives.

Many people visiting our showcase at the Radisson have been surprised by the size of the Fluence EV. After associating electric cars with 2-seat roadsters or futuristic golf carts, many of our visitors have been relieved and pleasantly surprised that there will be a full-sized, five-seat electric vehicle on offer. A blogger from Earth2Tech wrote: “I took a test drive of a prototype of the Fluence, and it drove and felt pretty much like a standard sedan, only a lot quieter. I was actually surprised at how mainstream it felt. It was roomy inside…”

Aside from the test drive center at the Radisson, Better Place is showcasing electric transportation as a tool for fighting climate change right at the Bella Center, the massive convention area in Copenhagen where the COP15 negotiations are taking place. Amid the crowds and activities at the Bella Center is the electric vehicle demonstration organized by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which displays electric cars from Renault and many other automakers plugged into Better Place charge spots.

As international delegates negotiate inside the Bella Center, we are outside demonstrating how electric cars fit into the overall picture of environmental sustainability. In Denmark, for example, we often generate surpluses of renewably-generated wind energy overnight when cars are parked and ready to charge. The bigger our EV fleet gets, the more energy we can store overnight for use the next day when we’d otherwise be using fossil fuels. This relationship creates new markets for renewable energy to come online, putting us on a trajectory toward a zero-emissions transportation solution.

However long and bumpy the road may be, our week of testing the Renault Fluence EV has us convinced that it will be an amazing drive.