Nice report, thanks. Just waiting for my GT Line + to be delivered in the next few weeks (hopefully), in the aconite 👍 I agree, there are a lot of discussions around the NCAP, however I have many different models of Smart car over the last 15/20 years and that has no side airbags ! I also felt there was more room than the Corsa, especially with family in and I have also had a few Renault's. Seems like a comfortable 90 mile round trip to work is easy even in winter, which is what I needed ! Looking forward to getting it now. Thanks for the videos. p.s. thought the ride was a little wallowy, so slightly stiffer suspension needed really, but it is not a RenaultSport 😉
If they bring out an RS version I will be forever a Renault fangirl. The Zoe RS concept looks fierce. 90 miles is a perfect round trip distance. I drive from Norwich to Stansted regularly, which is about 90 miles one way and use anywhere from 50-60%.
A fair review of the ZE50 👍 Compared to my ZE40, the dashboard is a vast improvement and having CCS is a must. Believe me, only having 22kw AC charging makes road trips interesting 😬 What tyres do they fit now on the Zoe? I read that the Michelin EV tyre is no longer manufactured. What do you think of the Renault 5 concept? Also would you be tempted if they bring an Abath 500E to market?
I got my ZE50 135 now for a couple of months and I absolutely love it! Its such a fun little car and the range is perfect. Also good to note its one of the few electric cars that can actually charge up to 22kwh on normal chargers (most cars only go to 11kwh) which you can even fully charge it on a normal charger in about 2 hours. Noted that the charger also supports 22kwh which is a bit rare here in the Netherlands. But I have found a few that do.
So I have the same car, R135, 52kWh, CCS, even the same colour. After two years and 30.000miles I can trustfully say that it's subpar. Charging speed, range, size, performance are factors which everyone should decide for themselves, my opinion isn't centered around that with the exception of the 1000€ CCS option. It isn't worth the extra cost because it will barely charge 50% SoC in 30 minutes (10-60%). It won't charge with 50kW (peaks at 46kW) ever and will already start throttling the charging speed at around 50-55%. The standard 22kW is the greatest asset of the car. The motor is punchy and it suits the car making it nice to drive. But given the quality they're offering, when you're buying a car that can cost up to 40.000€ you kind-of expect a certain level of quality which the Zoe and frankly Renault doesn't offer. I really loved the idea of this car, I've really looked forward to owning it long term. The 0 star rating, the constant issues with it have had me glad that I can return it next year. I will say that the effort Renault has put into my car has been lacking. Software bugs, charging problems, quality issues, setup issues. It was really disappointing experience. Even on other models like the Twingo ZE and Megane RS we have in our family, the quality wasn't better.I had the Zoe ZE 40 and I loved the shit out of it. I thought, 45bhp extra, 85km extra range, CCS, new interior is just what this car needs to be an ideal long term car for me. But just after I got it it started to get sour and right now I just want to get rid of it. If you drive fewer miles, your experience might be significantly different, because these issues won't manifest as soon. But if you want to get a used one, get a service history for it. I hope I'm an outlier and that I got a bad car. Here are my woes with my Zoe I had encountered during the 33.000 miles with the car: - the car had bad alignment from the factory - even after the alignment it chews through the inside of the front tires excessively, bad alignment of the dealership (alignment was done unladen) - steering wheel vibrates at motorway speeds, no issue has been found by the dealership - steering wheel had to be changed due to unresponsive buttons - the car chews through the sides of the front tires with weekly tire pressure checks to the manufacturers spec (signs of underinflation) - the front dampener bearings started making a cracking noise while turning the wheels after 5000 miles - rear driver's side wheel bearing just started making noise at 30.000 miles - the rear door brakes/stoppers make loud noises, like they're cracking or breaking inside - on about every 3rd charge the car will suddenly stop charging at 65-68% and lock the charge port for 2 minutes - the front camera fogs up from the inside and in consequence you cannot use your brights - no, there's no setting to turn off the automatic headlight dimming - if you turn off the "interior lights" from the settings it will also turn off the light in the boot - no cabin heating or cooling while charging, without starting the hurricane of course (when conditioning via the app the fan will run at max power) - if you set the ventilation to the footwell, a lot of air will come out of the side vents, the round ones) - the lane keep assist will try to push you into oncoming traffic on tight roads, even after recalibration and set to "late intervention" - on hot summer days it will try to cool down the battery even on a granny charger, almost doubling your charge time, without telling you in the dash anything about it - the metal foil on the dash inserts is peeling off right above the storage area, making for sharp cuts if you retrieve your stuff from there - battery has 90% SoH after 30.000 miles, my ZE 40 had 94% after 40.000 miles and was almost one year older (at the time of measurement) - going from 99% to 100% takes 35-45 minutes, compared to 20 minutes on my old ZE 40 - motor started making a humming noise at 25mph and 0kW power, Renault says it's ok - the charging flap will open randomly during driving
Sound like you got a dud. How frustrating. I haven’t any of these problems with my Zoe. Other than the back doors being loud! No problems with battery, charging, quality or alignment.
Do you actually have the correct tire pressure? It is 2.6 Bar on all 4 wheels. That is with cold tires. So by just driving a kilometer or two you need 2.8 Bar instead. That makes a huge difference in wear and road handling... Tire pressure is rather strange. The ZE40 has almost identical weight and weight distribution, but that is 2.6 at the front and 2.4 at the rear tires. 16 or 17-inch rims? 16 inches gives you a better range, and a better driving experience (and less costly tires). My ZE50 2020 R135 is at 93% SoH now, after 170,000 km (about 106,000 miles). Do you get 113 kW (153hp) of power during full power acceleration at >85% SoC and between 60 and 90 km/h speed, if it is between 15 and 25 C battery temp? Some cars just get 100kW (135hp) (just as it is specified). Regarding CCS charging, I have so far never seen anything above 44kW (real charging speed through CanZE). And if the battery is below 10C it will never even charge at 25kW. Below -5C it starts at 40kW and drops to 15kW after just a few minutes (so if it is cold I will only use the cheaper AC charging on trips). The reality is that it will charge at a maximum of 125A DC but that can never be at 400V as that is above 95% SoC, so 50kW is impossible. Have you got the proper software updates? Do you have the energy screen so that you can see how many kWh you have been used (under information then list). That software update is a necessity to get the BMS to work properly. The cabin heating/cooling during charging can be mitigated. Put the FOB in a metal box (the Zoe thinks you have left the car and starts to shut down), if the doors lock then you can preheat/precool your car during charging through the app. This is so stupid that it is beyond me, but it works. The press start button (without brake pedal) while charging only starts the cabin fan so no heat or cooling. The front camera fogging up is annoying (it makes it useless when I need it in snowy mornings). But by turning the left knob from AUTO to the headlight then you can force a high or low beam. The charging flap opening is an adjustment issue. But in short, Renault could have done a way better job with the software/app regarding the Zoe. Just the fact that you will never get an update unless you specifically specify the working order number (until then, you are the only person in the world that have "ever" had the issue). Still, it is a cheap commuter entry-level BEV. But Renualt could have done a better job on the software/app and small details like the rear camera, the fogging up of the front camera, line holding that does not work on wide motorway lanes etc. Possibility for double preheat when it is -20 C outside (mainly to heat the battery). Preheat the battery while driving (a necessity during cold winter driving if you want any charging faster than 7kW...). See instant energy consumption in kWh/100km. Real cabin heating during winter time (when it is -20C outside, it will never go above +12C inside).
Looks like it would be easy to park compared to the eKona? I really like the 360 camera that you get in some other EVs but a smaller car is compensation.
It’s really easy to park. Though, I adapt quite well to different sized vehicles. I now have a Polestar and it only too a week to get used to the extra length (!).
So nice to her from an owner. Thank you for this!
Nice report, thanks.
Just waiting for my GT Line + to be delivered in the next few weeks (hopefully), in the aconite 👍
I agree, there are a lot of discussions around the NCAP, however I have many different models of Smart car over the last 15/20 years and that has no side airbags !
I also felt there was more room than the Corsa, especially with family in and I have also had a few Renault's.
Seems like a comfortable 90 mile round trip to work is easy even in winter, which is what I needed !
Looking forward to getting it now.
Thanks for the videos.
p.s. thought the ride was a little wallowy, so slightly stiffer suspension needed really, but it is not a RenaultSport 😉
If they bring out an RS version I will be forever a Renault fangirl. The Zoe RS concept looks fierce.
90 miles is a perfect round trip distance. I drive from Norwich to Stansted regularly, which is about 90 miles one way and use anywhere from 50-60%.
A fair review of the ZE50 👍 Compared to my ZE40, the dashboard is a vast improvement and having CCS is a must. Believe me, only having 22kw AC charging makes road trips interesting 😬 What tyres do they fit now on the Zoe? I read that the Michelin EV tyre is no longer manufactured. What do you think of the Renault 5 concept? Also would you be tempted if they bring an Abath 500E to market?
What’s the winter range like?
It’s not too bad. We maybe average 180 miles in winter months but if it’s really cold (near freezing) it’s more like 150.
Why does no one talk about the next to useless heater?
I never had a problem with mine! Though I’m more of a heated seat kind of a gal.
I got my ZE50 135 now for a couple of months and I absolutely love it! Its such a fun little car and the range is perfect. Also good to note its one of the few electric cars that can actually charge up to 22kwh on normal chargers (most cars only go to 11kwh) which you can even fully charge it on a normal charger in about 2 hours. Noted that the charger also supports 22kwh which is a bit rare here in the Netherlands. But I have found a few that do.
So I have the same car, R135, 52kWh, CCS, even the same colour.
After two years and 30.000miles I can trustfully say that it's subpar.
Charging speed, range, size, performance are factors which everyone should decide for themselves, my opinion isn't centered around that with the exception of the 1000€ CCS option. It isn't worth the extra cost because it will barely charge 50% SoC in 30 minutes (10-60%). It won't charge with 50kW (peaks at 46kW) ever and will already start throttling the charging speed at around 50-55%. The standard 22kW is the greatest asset of the car.
The motor is punchy and it suits the car making it nice to drive. But given the quality they're offering, when you're buying a car that can cost up to 40.000€ you kind-of expect a certain level of quality which the Zoe and frankly Renault doesn't offer.
I really loved the idea of this car, I've really looked forward to owning it long term. The 0 star rating, the constant issues with it have had me glad that I can return it next year. I will say that the effort Renault has put into my car has been lacking. Software bugs, charging problems, quality issues, setup issues. It was really disappointing experience. Even on other models like the Twingo ZE and Megane RS we have in our family, the quality wasn't better.I had the Zoe ZE 40 and I loved the shit out of it. I thought, 45bhp extra, 85km extra range, CCS, new interior is just what this car needs to be an ideal long term car for me. But just after I got it it started to get sour and right now I just want to get rid of it. If you drive fewer miles, your experience might be significantly different, because these issues won't manifest as soon. But if you want to get a used one, get a service history for it. I hope I'm an outlier and that I got a bad car.
Here are my woes with my Zoe I had encountered during the 33.000 miles with the car:
- the car had bad alignment from the factory
- even after the alignment it chews through the inside of the front tires excessively, bad alignment of the dealership (alignment was done unladen)
- steering wheel vibrates at motorway speeds, no issue has been found by the dealership
- steering wheel had to be changed due to unresponsive buttons
- the car chews through the sides of the front tires with weekly tire pressure checks to the manufacturers spec (signs of underinflation)
- the front dampener bearings started making a cracking noise while turning the wheels after 5000 miles
- rear driver's side wheel bearing just started making noise at 30.000 miles
- the rear door brakes/stoppers make loud noises, like they're cracking or breaking inside
- on about every 3rd charge the car will suddenly stop charging at 65-68% and lock the charge port for 2 minutes
- the front camera fogs up from the inside and in consequence you cannot use your brights
- no, there's no setting to turn off the automatic headlight dimming
- if you turn off the "interior lights" from the settings it will also turn off the light in the boot
- no cabin heating or cooling while charging, without starting the hurricane of course (when conditioning via the app the fan will run at max power)
- if you set the ventilation to the footwell, a lot of air will come out of the side vents, the round ones)
- the lane keep assist will try to push you into oncoming traffic on tight roads, even after recalibration and set to "late intervention"
- on hot summer days it will try to cool down the battery even on a granny charger, almost doubling your charge time, without telling you in the dash anything about it
- the metal foil on the dash inserts is peeling off right above the storage area, making for sharp cuts if you retrieve your stuff from there
- battery has 90% SoH after 30.000 miles, my ZE 40 had 94% after 40.000 miles and was almost one year older (at the time of measurement)
- going from 99% to 100% takes 35-45 minutes, compared to 20 minutes on my old ZE 40
- motor started making a humming noise at 25mph and 0kW power, Renault says it's ok
- the charging flap will open randomly during driving
Why would you charge it from 99-100%?.
Thank you for the detailed report. You have saved me a load of heartache, I will skip buying the ZE50.
Sound like you got a dud. How frustrating. I haven’t any of these problems with my Zoe. Other than the back doors being loud! No problems with battery, charging, quality or alignment.
Do you actually have the correct tire pressure? It is 2.6 Bar on all 4 wheels. That is with cold tires. So by just driving a kilometer or two you need 2.8 Bar instead. That makes a huge difference in wear and road handling... Tire pressure is rather strange. The ZE40 has almost identical weight and weight distribution, but that is 2.6 at the front and 2.4 at the rear tires.
16 or 17-inch rims? 16 inches gives you a better range, and a better driving experience (and less costly tires).
My ZE50 2020 R135 is at 93% SoH now, after 170,000 km (about 106,000 miles).
Do you get 113 kW (153hp) of power during full power acceleration at >85% SoC and between 60 and 90 km/h speed, if it is between 15 and 25 C battery temp? Some cars just get 100kW (135hp) (just as it is specified).
Regarding CCS charging, I have so far never seen anything above 44kW (real charging speed through CanZE). And if the battery is below 10C it will never even charge at 25kW. Below -5C it starts at 40kW and drops to 15kW after just a few minutes (so if it is cold I will only use the cheaper AC charging on trips). The reality is that it will charge at a maximum of 125A DC but that can never be at 400V as that is above 95% SoC, so 50kW is impossible.
Have you got the proper software updates? Do you have the energy screen so that you can see how many kWh you have been used (under information then list). That software update is a necessity to get the BMS to work properly.
The cabin heating/cooling during charging can be mitigated. Put the FOB in a metal box (the Zoe thinks you have left the car and starts to shut down), if the doors lock then you can preheat/precool your car during charging through the app. This is so stupid that it is beyond me, but it works. The press start button (without brake pedal) while charging only starts the cabin fan so no heat or cooling.
The front camera fogging up is annoying (it makes it useless when I need it in snowy mornings). But by turning the left knob from AUTO to the headlight then you can force a high or low beam.
The charging flap opening is an adjustment issue.
But in short, Renault could have done a way better job with the software/app regarding the Zoe. Just the fact that you will never get an update unless you specifically specify the working order number (until then, you are the only person in the world that have "ever" had the issue).
Still, it is a cheap commuter entry-level BEV. But Renualt could have done a better job on the software/app and small details like the rear camera, the fogging up of the front camera, line holding that does not work on wide motorway lanes etc. Possibility for double preheat when it is -20 C outside (mainly to heat the battery). Preheat the battery while driving (a necessity during cold winter driving if you want any charging faster than 7kW...). See instant energy consumption in kWh/100km. Real cabin heating during winter time (when it is -20C outside, it will never go above +12C inside).
Looks like it would be easy to park compared to the eKona? I really like the 360 camera that you get in some other EVs but a smaller car is compensation.
It’s really easy to park. Though, I adapt quite well to different sized vehicles. I now have a Polestar and it only too a week to get used to the extra length (!).
@@JessShanahan good to hear you were able to accommodate the extra length without too much discomfort!
Judging by your range numbers you meant to say 25 to 50 miles less not percent ?