Automotive

Review Of Renault’s Zoe EV 2017

Review Of Renault's Zoe EV 2017

Europe is in love with an electric car that most Americans can never see, including drive. The Renault’s Zoe EV is the best-selling electron volt in Europe, moving over 50,000 units across the continent since going on sale in late 2012. It has been named the “Best electric car for less than £20,000” at the What Car? Awards in the United Kingdom for four years in a row.

And now, unarguably, it’s an even better electric car. That’s because Renault has managed to increase the Zoe’s range with an impressive 41-kWh battery, called the R90, that provides an official NEDC range of 403 kilometers (250 miles). Sure, the NEDC range is a idealistic fiction manufactured by European regulators – something that even Renault admits – however the new Zoe’s real-world vary should be around 200 kilometre (124 miles) in the winter and 300 kilometre (186 miles) in the summer.

Renault’s Zoe EV Feature

Review Of Renault's Zoe EV 2017

Compared to the first-gen Zoe’s 250 kilometre (155 mile) NEDC range, this is an amazing improvement. And that’s specifically what Renault wanted to show off during a recent drive along the coast of Portugal. The company debuted the new Zoe at the Paris Motor Show last year, however the exterior and interior style is practically similar to the model that came before. All that is new are the electronically folding side mirrors, different wheels, and some fresh exterior colours.

The new Zoe is in dealerships now, and we figured we’d tease our American audiences with some tasty French forbidden fruit. Renault has created the Zoe reasonable by doing something that no car manufacturer is doing right now in the US: Battery leasing. that means sticker costs that appear outrageously low, with the Zoe beginning at just 23,600 euros ($26,481). That is before any governmental incentives, but then you also have to add in the monthly prices to lease the pack.

This might be as low at 69 euros ($77) a month with up to 7,500 kilometers (4,660 miles) a year included, or 119 euros ($134) a month for as many miles as you want. You can also, of course, simply get a traditional lease for the whole car beginning at 149 euros ($167) a month. Costs could vary by country, however you can see that the general value for a new Zoe isn’t out of reach for most new car buyers.

Renault’s Zoe EV Performance

Renault Zoe EV Performance

When it comes time to charge, the Zoe utilizes Renault’s Chameleon charger, which might plug into almost any EV-friendly power supply, from a wall outlet to a quick charger (Tesla Superchargers excluded). There are presently 80,000 public charging points in Europe and 5,000 quick chargers. What is somewhat dissatisfactory is that the Zoe’s quickest charging choice isn’t with the R90 battery, however with an identical 41-kWh pack called the Q90.

The R90 offers the 403-km range, while the Q90 is only good for 370 kilometers. But, when plugged into a 43-kW charger (the best the Zoe will handle), the Q90 is able to get to 80 % 65 minutes, while the R90 takes an hour and 40 minutes. So, you lose a little bit of range for shorter recharge times.

Charging is actually the only complicated issue to think through when it comes to the Zoe. Everything else regarding the updated electron volt is easy and obvious. Put it all at once, and the Zoe is the new standard for what an electron volt is supposed to be like in 2017. Simple to use, practical, reliable, and cheap. Too bad we can’t get it here in America.

To Top