► New Z.E. 40 features higher-capacity battery
► Claimed real-world range of 186 miles
► On sale now for £18k, excluding battery rental
Range anxiety getting you down? Fear not – Renault’s recently revamped Zoe line-up, which features a long-range ‘Z.E. 40’ version, is now on sale in the UK. This new version of the Zoe is claimed to offer a real-world range of around 186 miles, which should prove more than enough for most and prevent any charge point-related panics.
The company’s also seen fit to roll out a host of revisions to its increasingly popular electric hatchback – including a new flagship trim level, called the Signature Nav.
Tell me more about this new battery option…
It’s dubbed ‘Z.E. 40.’ – despite being rated at 41kWh – and, in European lab tests, is reputed to deliver a 250-mile range. Renault says that in real-world conditions, however, you’ll get around 186 miles between charges – or 124 if it’s particularly cold. As ever, your mileage may vary.
Renault hasn’t just slung more cells in to achieve the increase in capacity, mind. Instead, the company has worked with LG Chem to refine the chemistry of the cells themselves, boosting their capacity.
The Z.E. 40 variant’s also available with a fast charging system, costing £750, which can get it to 80% capacity from flat in just over an hour.
The entry-level 22kW battery pack remains, and grants a 149-mile range according to NEDC tests. Renault states a winter range of around 71 miles, and a summer range of around 106 miles.
How much does the 2017 Renault Zoe cost?
You can go about Zoe ownership one of two ways: you can either buy the car and its battery outright, or pay a lesser price for the car and then lease the battery.
If you’re leasing the battery, and inclusive of the plug-in-car grant, you’ll pay the following for a new Zoe:
- Expression Nav R90 22kW £13,995
- Dynamique Nav R90 Z.E.40 £17,845
- Dynamique Nav Q90 Z.E.40 £18,595
- Signature Nav R90 Z.E.40 £19,895
- Signature Nav Q90 Z.E.40 £20,645
The monthly leasing costs for the battery vary depending on your annual mileage. As follows:
- Up to 4500 miles 22kW £49, 40kW £59
- Up to 6000 miles 22kW £59, 40kW £69
- Up to 7500 miles 22kW £69, 40kW £79
- Up to 9000 miles 22kW £79, 40kW £89
- Up to 10,500 miles 22kW £n/a, 40kW £110
What if I don’t want to lease the battery?
To buy the Zoe and its battery outright, inclusive of the plug-in car grant, you’ll have to pay the following:
- Expression Nav R90 22kW £18,995
- Dynamique Nav R90 Z.E.40 £23,445
- Dynamique Nav Q90 Z.E.40 £24,195
- Signature Nav R90 Z.E.40 £25,495
- Signature Nav Q90 Z.E.40 £26,245
Every version comes with a four-year, 100,000-mile warranty and assistance package – which should quell any immediate concerns about reliability.
All versions are capable of 0-62mph in 13.5sec and have a top speed of 84mph; Renault will also supply and fit a 7kW fast-charging box for free. Charging times – using this wall box – range from four hours for the 22kW version to eight and a half hours for the Q90 Z.E. 40.
What’s on the standard kit list?
Expression versions feature a decent amount of kit, including climate control, cruise control, sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity. Mid-spec Dynamique Navs benefit further from rear parking sensors, rear electric windows, electric folding mirrors and a leather-trimmed wheel and gear lever.
Go for the new top-spec Signature Nav model and your Zoe will feature a leather interior, heated front seats, a Bose stereo, rear parking camera and driver’s lumbar adjustment. Very plush.
What’s the difference between the R90 and Q90 models?
Good spot. Basically, Renault offers two different electric motors in the Zoe. The Q90 outputs 87bhp and 162lb ft; the R90 delivers 91bhp and the same 162lb ft.
As you can see, there’s not much between the two – and the performance figures suggest the motors perform in much the same fashion. The claimed ranges for the Q90 models are slightly slightly lower, however, but on the flip side their hardware permits them to be charged more quickly – a 43kW charge point will take a Q90 from 0-80% in just over an hour, whereas the R90 will take 1hr40.
Has anything else changed?
There are some new exterior colours, including a palette-brightening red, and there have been some other minor cosmetic tweaks. For example, the Renault badge and model denominations are finished in silver, instead of blue, when specified with any of the new colours.
Renault’s also launched two new apps for owners – Z.E. Trip and Z.E. Pass. Z.E. Trip shows you where the nearest charging points are, and allows you to see if they’re compatible and unoccupied. So, no wasted slogs across town to a charging point to only find a queue of EVs waiting to be charged.
Z.E. Pass, on the other hand, is designed to improve the Zoe’s ease of use in mainland Europe. It allows owners to use and pay for a variety of different charging points without having to sign up to each individual supplier; it also permits pricing and availability comparisons of the surrounding charging points.
All in, both apps – which are due to be rolled out in 2017 – should make the Zoe even easier to live with on a daily basis.
When can I order the updated Zoe?
You can order the updated Zoe, including the new Z.E. 40 version, now. Deliveries, however, will start in January 2017.
Read CAR magazine’s long-term Renault Zoe test here
