And it’s under $40k!
French carmaker Renault has unveiled their all-new second-generation Zoe EV hatchback, which will bring the fight to the latest small EVs from the continent like the Peugeot e208 and Vauxhall e-Corsa, as well as the upcoming (and eagerly-awaited) Honda e.
Actually we say ‘fight’ but for the aforementioned cars, the Zoe will make it a bit of a bloodbath. Not only is the little thing available with either 80kW or 100kW electric motors, but it’ll offer up a maximum range of damn-nearly 400km on a single charge. That makes it as usable an EV as the Jaguar I-Pace which, when you account for the Zoe’s $39k pricetag, is about three times more expensive. Phwoah.
It’ll go from rest to 100km/h in under 10-seconds according to Renault, and its top-speed is limited to 140km/h, both of which are more than enough for urban commuters who’d be looking at this as perhaps a second car to run about in.
What’s equally as impressive is the Zoe’s charge time – with a 7kW wallbox (the sort of thing you can have easily installed at home), you can charge it from 0-100% battery in just 9.5 hours or, as Renault puts it, about enough time for you to recharge when you sleep. One hour of charging, again from that wallbox, will give you an extra 125km of range, thereabouts.
And if you can find a 50kW rapid-charger, you can add 145km of range in just 30-minutes. All very impressive stuff.
Using the Renault app, you can find charging stations nearby and set your Zoe’s navigation to go there, or even set it up so that your electric hatch only charges up during cheaper power periods. Smart, right?
And this of course is all in addition to the rather generous spec list which includes LED headlights and taillights, a fully-digital instrument cluster, a large central touchscreen, Renault’s interpretation of Nissan’s ‘e-Pedal’ system (more on that in our report on the Nissan Leaf), and improved power recuperation via regenerative braking.
The Renault Zoe is expected to cost around £21,000 in the UK when it goes on sale later this year. There’s been no mention as yet to local availability but frankly, for that money, you’d be foolish not to get one.
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