2017 Renault Zoe 41kWh Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ม.ค. 2017
- Today James and I review the new 41 kWh Renault Zoe. I have been lucky enough to use this car over a 4 day period. Here's how we got on and we give our thoughts on weather this is next best thing or not quite enough for today's competitive EV market.
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Hi guys, thanks for the shout-out in this episode. I am just rendering my latest update on life with my Zoe at 3 years old. I have yet to get my hands on a ZE40 yet to try out - dealer in Aberdeen does not have one in yet. May check the dealer where I bought my car initially to see if they have one yet. Though I am totally with you, I would get the Q90 version with 43kW charging every time. I'm glad to hear that there have been some refinement improvements, the original did need a little more spit and polish, though I have to say after three years the interior and exterior (save the peeling blue badge which I cannot get too bothered about personally) it is holding up okay.
A couple of things to clarify which may be helpful to folks, coming from considerable experience with a Zoe.
On the range, I think for winter that 130 - 140 sounds about right, indeed I would be very happy with that. In winter I reckon I am around 70-80 if doing some longer runs, but if it is all short journeys, lots of deicing, etc. then 60-70. So you are talking heading towards doubling. To give you an idea, since I got my car back from its holiday at the dealer I have been averaging around 2.9 mpkWh (lots of heater, short journeys, having fun with throttle) so around 64 miles. When the temperatures heads back over 10 C then 4 mpkWh is easy (88 miles) and if I am trying to drive economically 5+ mpkWh (100+ miles). So, if you calculate that out to the 41 kWh pack that would be around 120 (winter), 165 (regular) and well over 200 miles (eco-driving).
The regen thing I see Jan-Bart has already mentioned. It is, I think, a deliberate strategy by Renault to make the car more "normal". I agree with you and Jan-Bart that I would like more lift-off regen, though there is enough to bring you almost to a halt if you are driving economically with lots of anticipation and of course the best consumption figures come from increasing your amount of coasting rather than regen in my experience. Most of the braking is regen, so there is still lots of regen available, it is just that the rate is controlled through the brake pedal rather than, say, through flappy paddles as per Ioniq. I think I would, on the whole, prefer the option that the Ioniq gives, but I do understand what Renault are doing as a strategy. Again, it echoes what you said, James, about it being an ideal first EV as the transition from ICE is pretty seamless.
Hope that provides a bit more nuance. I do enjoy your vids, so keep 'em coming!
Peter
alloam Hi, cheers for the long explanation and clarification, it's great to have a Zoe owners perspective with the experience you have as it will obviously be more in depth than line.
I have watched all of your videos too and they're excellent, I'll really look forward to you testing this out and your opinion of it.
The refinement is better and there's no denying it a great looking car, but I still think the jump should have been bigger. Lithium-ion battery production cost have in cases fallen 70% so the extra for a 60 is something I'd have paid. I understand there's more to it in terms of size, weight, cooling but I'm sure the industry standard is going to be 60 by the end of this year.
Looking forward to your next one 👍🏻
alloam I forgot it was winter and range would differ. I test drove the Leaf in a much warmer climate
I think your reviews are brilliant because you give two opinions. Thanks!
Anders Sjöberg No problems, glad you enjoyed it
Wow. What a great video. I love the informative, objective, no nonesense style. I feel that I can totally trust your opinions because you back everything up with real data; you know costs, real range performances, driving impressions etc. I just subbed.
Karl P nice one Karl, plenty more to come your way. Glad you liked it 😊👍🏻
We're in dial-up modem territory with these cars. Thanks James and Kate, I'm now a subscriber.
My wife and I test drove this Zoe 40 last week and this was our results.
Picked the Zoe 40 Dynamique Nav R90 up with a 100% battery showing 178 mile range. Temperature was about 6°c and a bright outlook. We decided to go from Newcastle to Berwick (65 mile) up the faster A1 where we could drive around a steady 60-65 mph keeping up with the normal flow of traffic. Berwick rapid was reported as operational but Seahouses has been off line for a long time.
We liked the higher seat positioning but no height adjuster and it drove good, however the pedestrian low noise will get some getting used to, but we turned the switch off. The audio sound was fair and seemed a bit tinny but we are not to fussed about that. I like the current road speed signs being displayed in the map screen even when no route entered. The Sat Nav being TomTom based was easy to use and view. The rear bench seat not being split has always been an annoyance of ours and they still have not offered this. My wife being small found unlocking the catches awkward having to stretch over from the rear or unlock them individually. She liked the boot as it was larger than her current car. We loved the self locking system. The car had the now optional £250 reversing camera but does comes with rear sensors as standard.
Heating, I've read lots of reports about this. Initially I put the heat on 22° and Auto. After 10 minutes driving we were still cold so I put it up to Max. Eventually after about another 10 minutes the cabin warmed and then put down to 24° then settled on 22°. Whilst rapid charging I tested the the heater system and can confirm for myself what others have said that it only blows cold air and even when the fob is in the Auxiliary slot and the windows did work in this mode. Would have been nice for Renault to implement a heating improvement with the R90?
With cruise control set at 60-65 mph we arrived at the Berwick rapid at 61.7 miles, 90 mile remaining, 3.69MPkWh and 16kW used. Battery was at 59% and 1h:25m charge time remaining. Went for a coffee and then ended the charge at 94%, 14.72kWh was delivered in 1h 22m 12s.
We then drove the coastal route visiting Seahouses and Craster then back home down the A1.
Our whole trip was 130.7m, 3.54MPkWh and an average 36.7mph, 62 mile remaining and a total consumption of 36kWh.
Having driven EVs for over 3 years, we both like this Zoe 40 and the USP is all about the RANGE and the ability to drive at or near the national speed limits with no real fear of rapid battery drain to low warnings. We probably could have done the trip without charging but we needed to test this R90 (22kW) on a 43kW rapid.
The 40kWh battery has to now be the new introductory standard and will instil more confidence to new and existing EV drivers.
The quotes given by the dealer. Zoe40 Q90 Signature, White, £2599 dep, £256 x36 6000 mile plus battery rental of £69. GFV of £4598. Zoe40 Dynamique Nav R90 White with no options, 6000 mile, £1999 dep and £219pm plus battery rental of £69. GFV £4098. These quotes are the standard Renault web figures with no further incentives given.
Really would love one but the above costs are currently the stumbling block, wait until they get better, get a Zoe40i R90 D.Nav for £17,590 or get the wife one of the last cheaper 22kWh over 2 years?
Still got 62 miles remaining so may go out for a quick run out ;)
Having found our first rapid charge was slow, I tested the charging at another local rapid and this time we achieved a 19kW charge rate, which is about right with losses for the 22kW on-board car charger. It has been noted by many reviews that many rapid sites must have reduced on-site power and not delivering the expected full rates.
I also tested the heating whilst charging again but this time using the instant key fob method. With this method when sat in the car you have to lock the car doors then press the button, this worked okay and it auto turned off after about 10 minutes.
Colin Phillipson that's a long indepth comment, thanks. Glad you enjoyed the Zoe, as did we, just not a next EV step in our opinion. 👍🏻
Great review, honest and accurate to my own test drive.
Really enjoy your videos please keep them coming.
Thanks
Olly Taylor glad you enjoyed it, thanks 😊👍🏻
Wow! This is exaclty the test I wanted to see! Thank you very much :)
Glad you enjoyed it, we try to keep it honest and realistic :-)
Kate.
Best Zoe review I've seen. Thanks
I like your review. You tell it like you were living with it and that makes a lot of sense. Kudos!
Hi guys! First time I comment, but I'm a regular viewer ;) Now, this was a bit of a meanie review, wans't it? :P I have a Zoe for more than a year and most people I carry around are impressed with its simplicity and fun. For me, the comparison with the i3 is a bit odd, considering that the BMW is a much more expensive car, and not really practical (try opening the suicide doors in a supermarket car park). I think Zoe's advantage that you probably missed is its practicality. Also, it's not screaming "look at me", but looks gorgeous. And I agree a bit with what Kate said, that this car solves a need; honestly, I think that is the strategy Renault went with for the Zoe and it's not a bad strategy at all. There's plenty of room in the market.
I did have several 600+ miles trips with Zoe and it was super relaxing; we love the journeys, to stop for coffees and visiting old towns, we don't care that much about the destination. Plus, as already mentioned by others, the range is way higher than you point out. In the old Zoe i get regularly 125 miles in summer and 80 miles in winter; considering that the consumption Watts/h has not changed in the new model, it's indeed feasible to reach 200 miles easily in the new Zoe.
For charging, as I am from Germany and we still don't pay for charging at motorway stations, I have a different experience. I doubt there's a plan to monetize charging anytime soon here anyways. Plus I always charge for free at supermarkets (I can't charge at home), so for an entire year I paid a whopping 50 EUR for all the electricity for 15000 miles. So on continental Europe, Zoe actually makes a lot of economic sense, hence the most sold EV around here.
Keep up the videos! You two are great fun! :)
Mihai Barbulescu Hi and thanks for your input.
I think we were a little disappointed by the range as the temp wasn't so cold and we were hoping to see 160 minimum. We agreed to drive it as we would any other car, not silly but to get there in good time and 70 on the motorway which resulted in figures we achieved. I don't doubt that some high range figures would be achievable but only when driven gently and in optimum conditions.
Completely agree with the i3, much more expensive and the suicide doors aren't amazing, but it has German build quality and in my opinion nobody rivals that except the Japanese.
This is still a good car, no denying it but i feel the leap was a deliberately smaller one than what they could have achieved here. I think when the new Leaf arrives we'll see the full potential.
Fingers crossed. Cheers for your input 😊👍🏻
Great Video guys. Loving the drone work!!!
Tim Kirk cheers Tim, just about to watch yours 👍🏻
Great to see honest review
Glad you enjoyed it :-)
Great review, thanks!
Thanks for posting the test drive. Can you guys get one of the new Smart For Two EVs?
on the list :-)
Brilliant Review!! A lot was mentioned about the range, but not much about the interior, which I would have liked to have seen.
Good review, thanks James and Kate.
Keith Vaughan thank you Keith 😊
Kate
I'm happy with my Q210 Zoe..Now ending a 4 year Lease,and going for a R110 model on order.Same package I enjoy,noticable range benefits from the new battery,Android Auto built in,and battery heating this time around as I love the winter benefits of an EV..
Would suit me and my wife perfectly. Having said , we are pensioners , and have no need for a car with a range of more than 120 miles. Thanks for your honesty. No worries , you didn't upset me. Carry on with the good work.
Thanks for doing the review! Zoe not available in the US so we have to make due with the Leaf. Im holding out for Model 3. Enjoying your channel very much!
FB Diesel thanks, glad you liked it. We're desperate for the bolt over here 👎🏻
At 15:45 it is concluded about the exorbitant cost of charging while on the go at charging posts etc, charging stations. I did a piece on this for the LEAF on a 500-mile journey with family aboard, and in short - £42.60 for the LEAF and it was only £60 or so for the Volvo Estate 2.4 litre Turbodiesel D5 we have. Plus, we did a shorter route as an accession to the LEAF being happier on A-roads (20% less mileage). I sent a notice to the Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, and am now holding my breath for immediate action...puff...puff...come on Mr Grayling...puff For the record, even with the LEAF, at highway-robbery electricity prices, 53mpg for any gas/petrol or diesel ICE car, will see it be cheaper than an EV purely due to the cost of charging up. Compare to petrol (gasoline) prices on the highway/motorway. We are annoyed at 15% mark-ups for gas on major roadways, yet the charging stations are asking 200% more than the going rate for electricity at home...!
I agree here to. It's quite frankly a joke. The providers think we want to pay for time, but we don't we want to pay for what we take at a reasonable rate that suits the consumer and the provider to profit from providing the infrastructure. If not, it's easier to drive an ICE car. Fortunately we have Tesla that will charge per unit, accurately and fairly. this may again kick everyone else in to line...!!!
Very good and thorough review.
Useful review. I'm in the market for a first EV later this year. I wasn't really considering the Zoe because I don't like how it looks, but I thought today I'd give it another look as it is one of the only ones I will actually be able to afford. The range is ok for me - anything over about 120 miles should be reasonable for what I need. But 13.5 seconds to 60mph seems very sluggish compared to my current vehicle, which is far from a powerhouse at about 10.5 seconds. I don't intend to drive like a lunatic, but being able to accelerate quickly is a very useful safety feature when overtaking! I might still give one a test drive just to compare, but I think it will probably drop off my list.
Thanks for the review guys, I was contemplating picking one up as I wanted a 150m round trip electric but it sounds a little too fine for me to take the risk. You saved me a shed load I'm sure. I didn't realize how expensive it was to charge on the road.
BRICKSTRIDENT no probs 😊👍🏻 glad it helped
Great video and a honest assessment. After you do the next review of what ever car you will be reviewing, can you do a general recap of the cars, stating real world range vs battery capacity, the driving experience and are they value for money? I have to say that you and the other UK based TH-camrs make great car reviewers, especially when it comes to EV's.
Keep up the great work. 👍🏽👍🏾👍👍🏻
konradc12 will do, glad you liked it 😊👍🏻
I love the comfort of my gen 1 Zoe seats. And I have done large trips with it (Holland UK and back, via Calais). I can sit fine in the back with no headroom complaints at all. And I'm 6'3" (1.90 m). The regen is MUCH larger compared to the Leaf or i3 because of that 43 kW charger. It's just integrated in that other pedal. The i3 is a terrible deal. The Zoe has much more range, much more luggage room, can charge two to three times or so quicker at normal charge points (22 kW, we've got a lot of those around) and is like half the price! The Leaf also still has that big disadvantage at regular 11 and 22 kW chargepoints. The chameleon charger is a big plus for the Zoe which also gives it that huge amount of regen that no other EV has. I think you need to do a live range comparison between EV's to come to an objective comparison. Doing 75 mph in cold weather kills range in any EV. All in all I really see some stuff left out in your review or wrongly assumed. How can an i3 be a better workhorse when it's so much more expensive, charges hours slower at regular points, has less range and less regen and hardly has any luggage space?
The point here is that the Zoe was marketed quite clearly with real world range which unfortunately it didn't achieve. A chevy Bolt will sit at 75 mph and clear it's given range as will a Tesla. I feel that given the battery dimensions are marginally smaller than that of a 60 kWh Bolt pack Renault could have done better, remembering this is the second gen car and 5 years old now. Also, why confuse people with 2 charging options, people need simplicity, not more complications. the range and performance differences between the 2 motors is completely un noticeable, so why offer a difference - just charge quickly!!!!
Also the Chameleon charger is riddled with issues. Renault have suffered fires, can-bus issues and huge numbers of breakdowns caused by this charger. I agree that the price is good, and for a starter EV it's excellent. However, the standard now is 60kwh's and I feel a 40kwh pack is just not up to what people expect and need for real world range. Drive it like an EV and it will do the range, drive it like a car that it should be and it won't. The i3 regenerative breaking is 8% higher than the Zoe on both models.
The battery went to 40 because energy density had doubled since the first Zoe Pack,and it will fit in the same space.I was with my dealer this week over an issue with my Q210 and was offered a trial in a 40..when their demo model is fixed after an incident with a Badger..It didn't end well for either...
Have the seats been changed for the newer version? You didn't mention the Older Zoe seats as being as uncomfortable as the newer ones..
Didn't you end up buying one of these? If so would be good to hear an update and why?
How is the fit and finish of this vehicle as well as head room.You both look as if you have pretty good head room but it is hard to tell how tall you are. Also is the all important battery of the same construction as the other manufactures or are there some important differences?
Very helpful review with honesty about the cost of charging out and about. I was hoping to fund my next car with a loan offset by the saving in fuel costs from switching to an ev, but the reality is it will cost 30% more than than my current diesel if I can't charge at home (sometimes work away during the week) and when I can charge at home it's only a 50% cost saving. Factor in high purchase cost and possibly battery lease and ev's just don't offer the saving I had hoped for. If they had the range to only charge at home it would be a different story but for now I will buy another diesel this time around. Very disappointing but good to know.
Great review. You ranked the Zoe vs the Leaf, i3 and Ioniq, how do you rate the Soul EV in that mix? It can be leased for a lot less than the Ioniq and i3, so very tempted despite the 90-100 range. We are in Leicestershire too, so TMS Kia are close. How did Kia rate with their EV knowledge, you mentioned the other makes being not too up to speed?
James W Kia were also similar in knowledge but pretty willing. The Soul was however a cracking motor and I'm really looking forward to the range upgrade 😊
thank you, that's good to hear. I'd heard (from the EV lease company) that the range upgrade would not be coming until December - the Niro PHEV and Optima stationwagon PHEV would be coming first in July.
Did you try the Soul in sport mode - did it have much poke? :)
good job mom and pop you guys are awesome.
Cheers :-)
I agree with not having enough regen , needed some improvements. Thank you though for taking time and sharing.
Faz khan no probs 😊👍🏻
Hi, really enjoyed this preview. In particular because so many of us are almost at the end of our 3 year EV deal and are wondering what's next or at least what to do next. Can I thank you for explaining the charging cost even with a new 41kwh battery. At the end of the day one of our aims is to try and reduce the cost of driving without compromising the enjoyment of safe driving. The new road cost charging infrastructure is extremely worrying. With my LEAF, I have totally stopped using the Ecotricity fast chargers (which I used to love using) Now, I just charge at work using my standard 240v and when I return home using my fixed external box. The Winter range of about 50 miles max used to irritate me at 1st, but, because I have found a way of charging the car at work, I worry a lot less. BTW I do a 50 mile round trip everyday through London. Last thing, I must say over Christmas I had a Nissan Pathfinder in Orlando, Florida. Nissan cars are quite consistent in their function and form. The Huge Pathfinder now looks exactly like the Nissan X-Trail (which they call the model Rogue) felt very much like my LEAF (even the remote control is the same apart from the additional button which starts the car from the outside) so I was able to adapt to it very quickly. I think, what I would really like is the new Nissan Murano which looks like a Lexus RX but is not available here in the UK. Why am I saying all of this? because somewhere along the lines I concur with you that many car manufacturers are holding back on their latest research.
I think that within 12 months there will be at least 2 new much longer range cars available that should cover your needs. If i had to choose now it would be an i3. Great car, great drive and great range.
Ecotricity... I'm gutted to what they've done with their business model. I'm a customer of theirs but the thought of paying £6 for energy that could cost as little as £3 when supplied by them irritates me.
I understand they need to make profit, but completely stitching people up isn't the way. Add £1 each time, i'd accept that, but not £3. :-(
James and Kate - thought it worth giving a quick update now it is cold and I have had Zoe eight months. I am still very pleased with Zoe and there are lots of things I like. I went to Gatwick today to pick up friends from their honeymoon flight home (100 miles round trip). The boot was big enough to take their two very large cases and the consumption at 1 degree C with lights on and heating at 22 degrees was 3.87 miles per kwh (this equates to a 158 mile range). I went with the slightly heavy traffic flow but saw 70 mph a few times to not taking it that easy. I love how smooth and quiet the car is and I like the stereo and the seats. The acceleration up to about 50 mph is good too. The downsides are poor headlights (fixed by swapping for high intensity bulbs), poor acceleration above 50 mph (no worse than most lower powered ICE cars though) and grabby brakes as you come to rest and the braking switches from regen to disks. It is really fun to drive though and the icing on the cake is that the 100 mile journey only cost £3 and I got free parking at Gatwick in the short stay car park by having an EV. On another note I hope the new family member is doing well (forgotten her name - apologies).
Robert Smith Hi Robert, apologies for thé slow reply, we’ve both been very busy. That is awesome news, it almost sounds like you’re trying to sell it, a proper EV convert 👍🏻 maybe a Carter change for you. I drive a Zoe 40 a few weeks back and achieved 150 miles with some rather heavy aggressive driving between 60/70. I agree with the acceleration, but it’s mapped that way strangely but as you say, it’s plenty enough for the size of car. Really pleased you are enjoying it. Family are all super thank you for asking 😊👍🏻
Career* 🙈
Thanks, James and Kate, this is really helpful. Personally, I don't mind whether you give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down, what's really helpful is that you give the necessary information for us to make our own minds up about whether or not it might suit our own situation - thank you!
Hi James and Kate. Another great vid from you guys. Been following for a while. Really love your reviews. Was just wondering about the "80 miles range" on the 22Kwh ZOE. I was wondering what conditions the 130mile trip was done in. I would seriously doubt the 22Kwh version would reach 80 miles in winter conditions in Scotland. If you used up 90% of the charge for 130 miles, the actual range is 144miles. Taken the 22Kwh would reach 70 miles in winter conditions (that's optimistic!), 144miles is more than a double the range... So kind of what to expect. Would you agree? I'm pretty sure the 41Kwh version could reach 150-170 miles in summer.
Good review some reviewers just want these cars to work that they over look the basic every day running...thumbs up from me
Nice review, thanks. What do you think about the Kia Soul?
Ruben Kelevra flick through our vids, we've done one already 👍🏻
James and Kate, I meant in comparison, you haven't mentioned it in this video :)
Ruben Kelevra loved it, really well built car. That said it falling behind on range now, it's in need of a decent battery increase
Underrated video.
Hi there loving the new review on the zoe. We've got a zoe at the minute its due to go back in five months time so very interested in what the next one will do. Knowing what the old one is like total agree with your summing up of getting this one.
Paul Gregory glad you liked it and agree, still well worth a test drive if you e enjoyed your current Zoe. That said, I'd be looking elsewhere in all honesty.
The lack of regen and the comments on the things you feel may be true but dit anyone ever think about what happens to the brakes (discs, pads, pisons, framework) whens it hardly ever gets activated? The Zoe does regenarate when you press the brakepedal slightly, you can see that on the energy indicator, it has two blue blocks to show the you are regenerating. I think it may turn out to be a great safety plus when you regurarly use the brake hardware, it will most probably work better when you really need it for an emergency stop. Although i am very much used to a one pedal drive system as i use a Linde (Fenwick) forkliftruck that does all the breaking on its hydraulics and i like it very very very much but that doesn't even have or need a mechanical brake for the speeds are much lower. When i drive 140 km/u i do want the emergency brakes to work well. It may turn out that the brakes get stuck when you don't use it for years because you go around driving 'ZEN' and do all your stopping and braking on the regen. Another thing is whether the brake-lights kick in when you slow-down more than just a little slowing down on regen. The last argument is for new drivers that learn to drive in an EV learn to do it all on regen, will they still have the reflex to press the brake pedal when they have make an emergency stop? I am afraid they will just take their food of the accelerator and just wait until the car stops. This may work well when the car has a good auto-pilot and/or auto braking facility.
With all arguments you give for the list of cars to buy you do forget the much friendlier price the Zoe has.
Thats a fair point about the Zoe, it is cheaper.
Great, great review! Zoe was my first pick... Was! Back to petrol cars: Mazdas...
For anybody who feels like commenting:
After reading a lot about EVs I came to the conclusion that the manufacturers don't really want to sell EVs. THey are me too cars: Hey, I can manufacture an EV too but they are sorely lacking in so many areas it is not funny. I know this seems like the mentality of a petrol user but it is true that short of, buying a Tesla, these cars just don't compare... What makes Renault come up with an Electric Clio that is not even as good as the car it's based on?
I am totally invested in the idea of buying an EV but it seems, at least to me, that the manufacturers are not.
Am I wrong? (When I compare an EV, any of them to a Mazda 3, or Civic, or Toyota it feels like we still have WAYS to go. I know I am comparing Orange to Apples but come on, can't we get something a bit better?)
Great video again :) Isn't the Hyundai ev a lot more expensive than the Zoe? Hence the difference in the equipment and quality? Also apparently the Zoe will do 180 real range in the summer?
Jeff Schofield it's difficult to pin down any one price as they fluctuate so much from dealer to dealer. However the Model we tested was 1k more than this Zoe, but the standard was worth much more than that in favour of the Hyundai. Although this is a ok car it's not comparable to an Ioniq in our opinion. But I suppose it all depends on what you're looking for. Glad you liked it Jeff, cheers 😊👍🏻
The other difference is that (on the Renault website anyway) all you can find is cars from £14,000 less the mandatory battery rental. Hyundai sell the (better equipped) car and battery starting at £24,495. Renault must do a battery included version but I find the whole way Renault try to sell electric cars is insane.
FFVoyager completely agree. They really need to stop messing around and just sell the car as is.
would YOU buy one for 7200 pounds as a first car?
gone 75k kilometers
because I don't share the same accent but do share the same language, you guys crack me up. the feeling is the same but the words are different "this Regen is shocking". quite literally! love your guys videos :) we don't have these EVs in the US.... do they?
num bum!
Sadly not, but you have the Bolt, which based on the reviews i've seen so far is an amazing car. And bizarrely it's not coming here!!! Glad you like the accents :-)
James and Kate If I'm not mistaken Opel Ampera-E is a European version of Chevy Bolt.
superbobor absolutely, but sadly not for the UK market 👎🏻
my mind is blown! Opel huh... Here i thought us Americans had a unique car all to us :)
Great video. I agree a used ev is a Huge value and you should rate the used Evs. I am in Arizona and currently drive a volt as I wait for the model 3. I saw a Ford Focus ev for 7k. Super value!
Yeah good point. In 18 months these will be peanuts :-)
You two are far more natural and do a buy far more comprehensive and relevant reviews of EVs, than another channel I used to follow, I used watch James cooke's daily vlog show, and I found he just rambled pointlessly and kept going on about how he was always late for something and needed copious amounts off coffee even tho his day consisted of nothing and his wife's input when he done a review on this car was not relevant at all I just got the feeling it was not good enough for her because it wasn't as posh as a tesla, just being very snobbish. Long story short, your review is very comprehensive and the points you's put forward are relevant. Thanks for making this video it's refreshing to something that is unbiased.
andrew christie Hi Andrew, cheers for your nice comments. Us and James do different things, but rest assured there's plenty more to come which hopefully, will keep you happy 😊👍🏻
After this test would Kate still pick the Zoe over the IONIQ?
Cheers,
Mark
In terms of looks, without a doubt, I love the look of the Zoe.
But for the build quality, range and size it would be the Ioniq. I'm secretly hoping James will put down a deposit for a Model 3 but he's now swinging towards the Model X.
Kate.
You can actually control the regen with the brake pedal, even in the old one! Use the correct card on the display above your steering wheel (press the ''cards'' button)
And did you also factor in the temperature, and really test the range to it's fullest and not actually only looking at the GoM? Also tried the ECO mode properly? I've managed to drive around 157km with 17% left on a 22kWh Zoe in the summer with the A/c heat pump on etc. In the winter it's around 40% less range (as does the leaf)
In practice this 41kWh Zoe has the second best current max range (Tesla's being first)
Also PLEASE recommend the Quickcharge variant, not the slow 22kWh one, that one has almost no purpose
Hi Stefan, we did give this car a good test, and it was driven as we would drive an ice car which is how Renault advertised it, which sadly it didn't achieve. Maybe in the summer. I agree, the slow charger limits this car to local journeys only in my opinion.
+James and Kate Are you going to test drive a Kia Should EV or the Fiat 500e or Smart for two ev?
mrderek800 we previously tested one of you look through our older reviews 👍🏻
Sorry, didn't read all of your comment. The fiat is a cheeky one to get hold of but leave it with me. I'll see what I can do.
I'm french but this is the best test of this car i ever watched :) even if I can't understand everything...
I have a question : on the 22kWh Zoe, there is a very little sizzling due to the motor, but on the 41kWh version, it seems to have disappeared... Is it true ?
valentin grand hi, what do you mean by sizzling..????
Totally agree that the best EV under £30k is the BMW i3. I have yet to test drive the KIA SOUL though. Not sure it would be as fun as the i3.
Great video. Love watching your reviews and sharing your experiences.
mark snoopyakabigbird thank you. We have tested a Soul in a previous video that maybe worth a watch.
James and Kate I will be sure to check it out.
Both Renault and Nissan seem to like the idea of having half the regen come from lifting off the accelerator and the other half come from lightly pressing the break pedal. IMO this is NOT the way an EV should work. Firstly it makes one pedal driving impossible. Secondly it makes the break pedal feel inconsistent as the physical breaks start to kick in. As for the range, I got a health 130 miles out of it too (when I had a go in one), but I got the impression that in summer time 180 miles on a charge would be an achievable range, which is substantially better than any other non-Tesla (non REX) EV.
Good to know that it can charge safely from the Tesla UMC (I assume that's what you plugged into it at the beginning), I didn't dare use mine on it (I just used the granny charger), because I found some horror stories of people breaking their ZOE by doing that.
Hi James, yeah I agree. One foot is the best way. I'm so used to the idea of not using the brakes now it seems rather old fashioned and a backwards step to re-employ them.
Worked fine on both for me, but it was only on for 30 mins so maybe one to watch.
hows your search going...???
I'm now up to nearly 2000 miles on the Zoe and am getting 185 miles if I drive like a normal person and over 200 trying harder, in fact one local trip was giving me energy usage equating to a 240 mile range. I always assumed that the most efficient way to drive would be to coast up to junctions but I noticed that the odd occasion where I got caught out and used the brakes the miles per kwh jumped up. I now ease off later when approaching junctions and use moderate smooth braking and hey presto I get more miles per charge. I now understand what you are all saying about one pedal driving and how the Zoe should have been set up for this (I'd have thought Renault could dial this in quite easily as an option).
Robert Smith Hi Robert, i'm searching youtube for info on the range of Ev,s ive come across your comment on your Renault Zoe watching a review on here. is that correct your getting 185 miles per charge? i'll have a ninety mile commute starting soon, 80 mile of which will be motorway driving.. in your opinion would the Zoe do this on a charge even in the colder winter months? it's a big purchase i'm just trying to find out as much info on them as i can. your thoughts would greatly appreciated
Mark, I have been getting about 200 miles range in the Summer but on a motorway trip you would have to travel below 60 mph to achieve this (70 mph would drop the range considerably). I bought the car on 01 March and I did a fair amount of driving at zero degrees Celsius at night and the range only appeared to be around 160 miles then. This is better than Renault suggest for winter driving (the rather conservatively say 186 miles summer and 124 miles range winter). I think their winter figures must be for places like Norway and not the south of England because I'd be amazed if I ever get the range below 150 miles. I really like the Zoe but if you are trying to do your commute without charging at your employer it would be OK but marginal in the Summer and unlikely to make it in the winter (I am assuming you mean 90 miles each way and not in total). Is there any change your employer could let you plug in anywhere? (James said he used to do this with the Leaf). As an alternative a friend recently bought a Yaris Hybrid and she gets over 70 mpg driving like an accountant.
Robert Smith thanks for the detailed info Robert. No my journey will be a 90 miles all in. 45 each way. Nearly all motorway driving. So the Zoe would seem to be up too this, on one charge. which should be great for my pocket lol.
Thanks for the review guys, working your way through em all. Interesting about your thoughts on charging. We just bought a Soul ex demo as it came down to the fact on a rapid at 42kw output we can get 20kwh or 70 to 80 miles in 30 minutes which works out fine for longer journeys. A battery any bigger will only get the same amount so stopping for 30 minutes for 20kws or 60 minutes for 40kws is currently makes it irrelevent if rapids are on your route. Unless I am missing something. Thanks look forward to the next one. Twizy?
mdad hdad thats to come actually 😊👍🏻 glad you liked the content and we loved the Soul, it was excellent
Great Vid thanks for doing this. James where comes the Soul in your list? i3, ioniq, leaf, ZOE....... Soul?
Irgei Ott you know what, I completely forgot about the Soul. It would be up there for sure, we loved it. Probably in front of the Leaf I'd say 👍🏻
Regen is controlled via the pedal (9-18kW without breaking and 40+ when applying the brake).
Apparently in 2013 it was stronger on regen without the pedal, but they decreased it, likely to be more like an ICE. I get in my current Zoe about 70-100 mile range I should be able to get 150-200 winter to summer in the new one.
I've driven my car for the last 4 days 150miles over 38kWh with -4 temps and 20 miles of it was 80mph. I don't understand how anyone would get any less than 70 miles doing ~70mph in Scotland.
I've ordered a Zoe ZE40 comes in March (Q90 motor and 43kW charging, 60min charging) £12900 (£1900 of extras), then battery rental.
I hope you are right about the range, Mine arrives in March and anything less than 160 miles in warmer weather will be a problem. A little annoyed that I didn't order the Q90. I paid for the batteries - that isn't a clear cut calculation at all but I found a talk by a Renault battery engineer reassuring because they fit a bigger battery than advertised and manage the degradation with their software by using more of the total battery size over time so that it doesn't affect the range very much over time. I think the 70% on the warranty just means they won't ever have to stump up for a new battery (in several years time they will be cheaper anyway).
First weekend we have it we will be doing a 210 mile trip. Glasgow to Southport. I will do normal motorway speeds on way down and then hyper mile on the way back. See what the difference is.
Please keep me posted on how you get on
Andrew Goodlad I think the Q90 is the way forward. I'm still at a loss to why they don't use DC CHAdeMO which would make life a lot quicker and easier.
James and Kate does 50kW Chademo actually give close to that? I've heard ~40. But I have no experience. On AC you'll typically get about 41-42kW
One good thing about Zoe is you get a longer fast charge. Usually only has a noticeable slow down at 85%-90%.
I'd have hoped for CCS. One socket unlike Leaf and seems to be the future for other cars.
Test drove the Zoe ZE40 at the weekend, it had been sitting out in the cold and it was at 50% with 80 miles range left, it said 3.8mpkwh and I got 3.9mpkwh along the motorway after resetting the trip.
Anyway great review. Renault should definitely try harder, wouldn't be surprised if it was held back due to a new Leaf. But with £5000 dealer contribution i couldn't say no :)
Filling up a 50 litters gas tank in Switzerland with Diesel costs around 80 francs.
For the electric cars, they charge now 0.15 cents per minute of charge in the fast charging station. So in the end you pay around 18 francs for 2 hours of charging! Expensive, but still cheaper than paying 80 francs. The only good side is that you finish refueling in less than 5 minutes.
Interesting & honest video 👍 ... and nice couple :-)
Bit disappointed with this review, seems like a moan. We have the 22kW and took it to Outer Hebrides from Kent in Oct last year. Yes, of course we would prefer the 41kW for range, but we find it quite comfortable for long range driving. I am used to nice cars have owned a Volvo XC70, which of course is in a different class for room and comfort. However we use ours for short and long trips and love driving it, it handles really well I think. I suppose you are used to driving more expensive cars and seem to look down a bit on the Zoe. Well it is one of the more inexpensive ones but I think you get value for money. It is our first EV and would be looking for something a little bigger and longer range in two years time. It is true with our model we charge more often but it gives herself a chance to use her fitbit thingy and we can have a look round. A new perspective on life perhaps.
Alan Cooper Hi Alan. Thanks for your input. We didn't mean to come over too negative but we were disappointed. We are real fans of the Zoe without a doubt a great car. Only a longer wait meant we purchased a Leaf instead which we loved for 3 years. But this one 5 years on we feel was a little half hearted by Renault. I'm so confused why they offer two charging options when the efficiency differences in the motor are al it's unnoticeable. Also the the battery size. I was really hoping it would be a 60, as The Chevy bolt battery is almost the same size. Surely now we need 200 miles minimum to make them more appealing to ICE drivers and not just the likes of us early adopters. I'll try and be more positive in the next one 😊 anyway thanks for watching and commenting
Very good. Anyway it is nice to have reviews with something that looks nice and sounds nice and that is not the car ! I was going to bitch again about you not wearing a seat belt but I think you had it hidden under your shawl !
Alan Cooper I always wear it Alan 😉 I'll try and keep myself looking nice next time too 👍🏻
Being critical is essential if car manufacturers aren't producing good enough products. Hearing car reviewers being negative about cars gives me confidence in the reviewers because clearly some cars miss the mark in terms of expectations. Being critical also lets manufacturers know they need to up their game so improvements happen and that will help improve competition too.
I think it is necessary to clarify the whole regeneration thing. The design decision to not regen on throttle liftoff does not mean it is less efficient. Using the brake pedal to control regen is a valid alternative as there are many drivers that prefer to have one pedal that accelerates and one that decelerates, particularly in markets where torque converter automatic transmissions have been the norm and where left foot braking is common. I do think however that they should provide the driver with an adustable amount of regen on throttle liftoff.
Paul Riseborough Thanks for your input and very valid. I was trying to point out that the regen is still for my liking inadequate, almost 10% less recuperation than an i3 which is one of its main competitors. Still, a good car, just not at the top of my list 👍🏻
Really good point that you make about range generally. I am currently monitoring my daily mileage in my ICE and I find that a low range - even as low as 50 - will do most of my journeys. Over and above that, you want a quantum leap so it will cover occasional longer trips so you are talking about 200 ish.
Michael OWEN Hi Micheal, yep, spot on. I think 60kWh would cover it 😊
I bought may 2018, the Renault Zoe Q90 41 kW/h battery, not R90. That means I can charge with 43kW on fast chargers, That makes more sense, than 22 kW speed.
Can you test the Rimac Concept One sometime soon! ;)
Adrian King umm, not sure about that one 😂😂😂
Nice video. Can't wait to have one for a test drive myself. Will also video it, of course.
The regen is indeed one of my disappointments to my current Zoe. In july 2014 the Zoe had heavier regen (max about 40kW) without pressing the break paddle and crucially without the break lights coming on. In September 2014 this was changed to a max 20kW and the rest when you press the break paddle which should put the break lights on. Takes getting used to but functional.
Jan-Bart Spang Glad you liked it. All said, it's a good car but I think you personally would be unimpressed with the improvements that Renault have implemented. You if all people know the Zoe so I'd be really interested to see what you think, really looking forward to it 😊👍🏻
James and Kate it's the same car with a larger battery. Similar to the 24kWh LEAF and the 30kWh LEAF. I will not be expecting any difference, to be honest.
As for the rest, pure Renault. You could call it "character". Did you know the Zoe had a 1.1% market share in France last month being the 26th best selling car. Then again, with the incentives there and the made in France badge it may not be a surprise.
Sadly no 41kWh Zoe prices in Ireland yet. Or any sign of the price to upgrade the 22kWh pack to a 41kWh pack, a fact you didn't actually mention in the video.
Jan-Bart Spang good point. Just a bigger battery. It was nice of them to add some visual changes inside.
£10800 for my first Zoe and battery rental
£12900 for this one and battery rental. Considering bigger battery and Brexit causing the pound to fall I'm impressed.
James is right, it does drive a bit better. Build is slightly better.
yeah I completely missed that, and a good point too. I can believe that share. I worked in Bordeaux last year and the French are patriotic to say the least. Every other car is French, which is a good thing and there were Zoes and Twizys everywhere, especially in the cities.
I have to say, the car feels different in the refinement, it's smoother and has far less road noise than the gen 1 but still felt heavier higher up which i think added to the slightly unsettled feel on uneven roads.
Learnt more about this car in the first few minutes from Kate and a "lot" more overall by the end than I did from the fullycharged review in Portugal that I turned off in frustration before the end.
Kept wishing that James would keep his eyes on the road & not keep looking at Kate/at the rear seats/at the camera while talking and trying to drive.
Glad you got the info you wanted, i'll stop my eyes wandering next time
In the US, many states prohibit reselling electricity (this is because many electric companies in the states are government run). Depending on the type of energy, it's between 3 and 15 cents a KWh. 5 cents is pretty normal. on level 2 charges, it's mostly free because the cost of the electricity is less than credit card processing fees. In Quick Charging, it varies from $20/month to free (mainly dealerships) to $11 a charge. The more expensive chargers charge a flat fee of $6 plus 20 cents per minute to get around the reselling of electricity rule.
But the main point to consider here is that the price of electricity in the US varies depending on how it's produced. Hydro power is the cheapest, well under five cents per KWh, solar is getting to be between 7 and 12 cents per KWh, then there's oil/gas which is 10-15 per KWh. Ironically the rule that bans reselling harms EV owners bc charging networks have to set prices per minute based on their most.expensive charger.
suggestion: test a Fiat 500e, they are being imported in EU as used cars from USA. Some people like it very much, some don't, so it would be interesting to see a mixed review from you too, Kate and James
Just found this old review and enjoyed it. But where's your Zoe 52kWh review for 2020?
We have the car, but sadly the current climate won't allow us to review it. Don't worry though, we'll give it a week long 500 mile test, as we do always 👍🏻
Aren't the Type 2 connectors at Ecotricity still free? Chademo and CCS are paid options.
Hi Will, hope you're well.
The Type 2 7kw are but these could be up to a 5 hour charge time from empty. The AC rapids are chargeable at the ridiculous £6 for 30 mins. I keep my fingers crossed that it's on free vend :-)
Ah I see, my mistake! I've only ever used Chademo so wasn't sure. It's a real shame the Zoe hasn't gone for CCS / Chademo. I'm hoping to replace Grace's 30 kWh Leaf because she occasionally drives 95 miles and although the Leaf can do it just, it's then a 10amp socket at the other end which isn't ideal and so I was hoping the new Zoe could be the replacement but the issues you've highlighted mean I won't even both going for a test drive, so thank you for that. If only the Tesla Model 3 was arriving this year!!!
p.s. good work on the drone footage, be careful of the law.
William Fealey I agree will, if this had DC rapid it would certainly increase the usability. The Model 3.... I can't wait, it genuinely can't come soon enough.
We did actually have a small police incident whilst filming the Lexus review, happy to say we were allowed to continue so long as we stayed away from the local wildlife and farms. We try to keep it safe. 😊👍🏻
They are 22kw the ripofftricities that are free @ 15 locations (own cable needed)
Forest Green Rovers, Nailsworth Membury Eastbound
Green Britain Centre, Swaffham Membury Westbound
Green Park, Reading Michaelwood Northbound
IKEA Croydon Michaelwood Southbound
Charnock Richard Northbound Newport Pagnell Northbound
Charnock Richard Southbound Newport Pagnell Southbound
Leicester Forest East Northbound Oxford Waterstock
Leicester Forest East Southbound
James and Kate did you reserved a Model 3? :)
Very interesting thanks. I'm considering an EV as a second car and looking at all the smaller ones as we would only use it around town
Pete Davis this one is a really capable car so well worth consideration. That said, a smaller and much cheaper Leaf would probably suffice 👍🏻
Hi on my ev my pedal assist I get 40 to 50 miles for 750 Watts perhaps you need pedals for each seat lol.
Again an excellent real world review. Totally agree with the Ecotricity charging comment. Unfortunately it has made the take up of EV's unattractive to normal people. Thanks.
Tudur Parry glad you liked it. Ecotricity.... it needs to change for sure. Cheers for your comments 👍🏻
Like the colour
I think it's a bit strange that the two of you give such a negative review on the new Zoe, this instead of many others like Robert Llewelyn and the Dutch Road club ANWB who were very enthusiastic about the new ZE40 and drove 250km under normal circumstances at 5 degrees Celsius. Of course there are better cars but they are much more expensive and are newer like the Ionic is. For instance no other EV has the Chamelon charger which is really great.
Everhard Brunink #EV-pioneer #NoTailpipes we didn't give a negative review but there were points that we found negative.
The fact that they offer 2 different charging options and motors confuses people. To make the jump people need simplicity and functionality, not 1h45 charging times and planning. The jump just isn't big enough in the EV market which changes on a daily basis. Still frustratingly the only EV that covers all of this is a Tesla. I really hope Nissan pull something fantastic out of the bag. And make a car that suits.
There are good points to the car, but a minimal improvement we feel.
The type of loading is in my view a personal choice: If you only commute with the car and no long distances and you charge the car in more than 90% of the cases at home, why not go for the R? It loads on outlets less than 11kW faster and is more efficient. The only advantage for the Quick-charge is when you have a quick charger of 43kW. It loads the car in 65 min vs 100 min (35 minutes difference according to Renault); I live in the Netherlands and there are quick-chargers along the motorways, but these are more expensive than the chargers in cities and almost all of them are between 11-22kW (where there is no difference in charging time between the R and the Q) And I guess I will be loading the car mostly at home because it is cheaper and with the range only on longer travels I occasionally will need to charge the car at a public charger.
Test-drive of the Zoe 40 Q90: at +5 degrees Celsius got a range of 240km (non-metric: 150 miles). 85km drive with about 40km motorway at 100-105km/h and 155km range left; btw: the sales lady drove it that morning to the dealership and I think it was not fully charged, say 90-95% . I like the car, not to big, handles well and by far the cheapest way to start EV riding and I assume in 3 years time there will change a lot in the EV market for better prices.
TheMagdiragdag Hi, the point we were trying to make here is that people so t want to decide between having a car for local and a car for long distance. They just want a car that does both, and for Renault 5 years on to offer this is stupid. To convert an ICE driver you need a usable car, not a usable 2 cars. Still only Tesla and hopefully Chevy offering this
It is a Mostly Negative review but horses for courses. You mention that you wouldn't purchase it over an BMWi3 which is a Premium Car so not comparing like with Like and way more expensive. I spend a lot of time on the BMWi3 uk owners facebook page, and the amount of time people are taking their cars back for Software upgrades, Fuel Line faults has put me off the idea of getting an I3 . The Ioniq has a 28kw Battery and has a great range but is not the same as the zoe ze40. Ioniq EPA rang is around 136 miles where as the Zoe ze 40 can do around 186 miles. The Zoe R90 main selling point for me is the 22kw Charging. I live in Ireland and as the majority of Charging points are 22kW and Currently Free, the Fee pay service due shortly, it gives a lot more options for charging over lunch where as there tends to be queues at the fast chargers, and people ignoring the 22kw charers as the Leaf stars at 3.3k and up to 6.6k kw slow charging and the i3 at 7kw so theyre pretty much useless using slow chargers. Yes if you do a lot of Long Distance driving the 43kw ac Charger on the Q90 is the way to go but this model is pretty rare.
Im curently driving a Leaf24k and probably will be going with the Zoe ze40 r90 on Battery lease having taken it for a Test Drive
Thanks for the honest review guys! I agree with you with what Renault are doing or not doing with the new Zoe. It is such a waste of time and money releasing a new version with only small improvements especially as the rest of the manufacturers are making a bigger effort now.
rendezvous0000 I'm wondering if this is because the new Leaf is expected to have a 60kWh pack and it would put them head to head. I think we'll see the new Leaf in the coming months, but as you said, they need to make it soon!!!! Glad you liked it 👍🏻
I believe this year is going to be a crazy year for electric car boom! I hope the new leaf has some sort of autonomy driving.
rendezvous0000 me too, if not they'll be left far behind
Nice review guys ,thank you. Is it me or did James look really tired?
rippedupno1 well spotted, a week of nights results in a face like this 😂 glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻
Another quick comment. I've looked at the Renault Zoe range calculator again. It seems that at ten degrees and 69 mph it thinks the 22 kw version will give 64 miles and the ZE40 will give 120 miles. At 50 mph this increases to 93 and 172 miles respectively (a little more in eco mode I imagine). In other words the Ioniq will do similar distance at higher speeds and can charge faster on the motorway if not elsewhere (it is eight grand more though after haggling and that killed it for me).
Robert Smith I have seen an Ioniq for similar money to this model we tested. Only 1k between them.
I looked at carwow and negotiated with some dealers. I am getting around £6000 off the list price of the Zoe but no dealers would offer me a penny off an IoniQ (£18K batteries paid for Zoe v £26K for the Ioniq).
Robert Smith oh ok, this model was slightly more expensive so I'm guessing it's a trim/spec thing. Makes the decision a limitless easier with a price variant like that.
A little easier*
Thanks for the detailed review. I was most interested in the seats. There are very few images of the seats on the Zoe website and what I did see made them look very thin. Your comments 9:00 were exactly what I was looking for. What a shame to spend so much money on developing a "futuristic" car but making it unbearable to sit on!
Nicole Rowan Hi Nicole, we're glad you found the review useful. it really was a shame about the seats. I don't remember them being as bad in the older model Zoe. The seats in our Leaf were fab. We did some serious miles in that car and it didn't let us down comfort wise. 😊
Great review Kate and James. I fully agree with your prior experience of Renault dealers, I tried a Zoe 3 times only managed to get a price once, each car I sat in had fault lights on the dash and never an SD card. The seats seemed okay to me but not had the hours you guys have had in one.
I really was keen to buy but the dealers put me off. No way buy one out of warranty, it's a guaranteed money pit.
How about reviewing the Kia Niro, Smart and VW Up electric?
Our list is big but i'll add them to it. Got another good one in the pipe line being made at the moment.
I think you're right in out of warranty would be a massive no no....
the seats.. I compared these to the Leaf and the difference was huge for me, but just my opinion, others may completely disagree but they felt so narrow.
I would probably buy the old one myself the upgrade is just not worth the extra money!
Kate looked lovely again and you James lol.....
Thank you :-)
Yes, we're all looking at Kate. What was the video about...a car?
I do wish they'd stop with the stupid range estimates from the manufacturers or whatever's these official figures by bla bla bla. Give us real world figures or people are going to pick these things up being disappointed thinking you'll get 200 miles when 120-130 is right. Five years down the line they will be 200 miles realistic, Ten years it will be priced right at 10k for similar.
Scotch could t agree more 👍🏻
Was surprised your review is in stark contrast to many others.
But not everyone will like it.
Such a shame Renault has sent the R90 out the factory first, but it is their in-house motor.
I have to wait until March to get my Q90.
Andrew Goodlad they're running well behind on the q90, supposed to on forecourts last month. I have to add that we drive as we would an ICE car which perhaps will reflect the difference others see.
James and Kate yeah I was told Feb, now March. At least they leave the current Zoe with me until then.
You got a suzuki celerio with scratchy plastic, uncomfortable seats with a vacuum cleaner motor lol .They suzuki does 60 mpg plus, only 6 grand and cheaper to run on your figures. ...and no waiting about.
Good review you two x
There is at least one very good argument to buy this car: the cameleon charger. Nowadays, still few rapid chargers being installed, this is a enormous advantage over all other EVs. It allows you to charge at a decent speed on public chargers making it the only affordable EV that allows you to make journeys away from the Highway.
Filip Van Rickstal good point, the charger is very versatile for random charging speeds but the two different size motor windings affect these in the shape of 50 mins difference. For me, too confusing. People want quick charging, good range and simplicity which Renault haven't helped with this upgrade I feel.
8:12 Kate's response "fast" really came across like "I don't really care, just want to finish my point" lol
4:45 Getting 80 to 88 miles on the 22kWh Zoe and then getting 130 on a 41kWh Zoe. The numbers really don't add up here. Double the battery but only 60% extra range. I think maybe this isn't quite apples to apples comparison. Even Renault have said more likely to see 186 in summer and 150 in winter.
14:12 I'm not sure but maybe 41kWh battery was the most they could use that used the same volume of space as the older 22kWh battery (same as the Leaf 24kWh vs 30kWh). Having the same volume means they wouldn't need much of a redesign of the car but if the volume of space is different then there's a lot more to redesign.
Milan Shah I would add that we are real world drivers, not silly but we like to get there. I firmly believe that the cars need to produce a range suitable without slip streaming vehicles and painful amounts of charging time.
The problem Renault have is that others in the industry could recharge this battery in 30 mins where as this needs 1h45m which isn't viable. So they've made to motor options which will confuse people further. This car is in its second stage and needs to reflect that, I don't believe it does. It's limited usability is the downfall.
With regards to battery size and fitment I think you're spot but the Chevy battery dimensions aren't far from the Zoe 41 pack which makes me think there's an ulterior motive here, possibly a conflict with new Leaf.
James and Kate fair points and I think you're right, driving it like an ICE car would probably be much lower range than even Renault say. But most EV cars (Tesla excluded) is probably a compromise to most people in one way or another. For example, I have a Leaf 24kwh. 95% of the time range is never an issue. Occasionally I do a longer journey which requires a charge in each direction. It's not ideal but an acceptable compromise that I've made. Maybe the Zoe would allow someone to drive it like an ICE most of the time but on rare occasions when they need to do medium distance journeys, they can baby the car to really get it closer to the 180 mile range. It's still a compromise but less so than a Leaf 24kwh but more so than a Tesla.
Milan Shah yeah that's true, this without doubt puts the Leaf well behind. The thing I'd also say is, I'd choose this over any ICE car without question. And running it is peanuts in comparison to internal combustion.
I'd be curious if the seats are better I. The top model because Robert didn't mention them in his review but had leather where we had fabric???
I imagine this car with a 60 pack, a little more power and with its looks it would be awesome.
I finally got my ZE40 on 01 March and very pleased. I put a long write up on James Cooke's page on his ZOE conclusions vlog. The good news is the seats fit me well and I seem to have managed to play around with the stereo to get decent sound. Range is coming in a 150+ miles at night and 4-5 degrees. I need to practice rolling up to junctions because the regen slows the car a lot more than my Megane did with my foot off the throttle and I find it slows the car a lot going down hill. I think if I had driven other EVs a lot I would have a different view (test drove the Ioniq and Leaf, the Leaf was new and battery full so it wasn't really regenerating properly according to the dealer who was with me and actually owned a 24kw Leaf). I'm rambling again - must stop!
Robert Smith good times, anyone jumping in to an EV is ace news. You should work out what it saving you in terms of running costs. The only problem is, it becomes an addiction. I look at our solar and every kWh it produces saves us 14p 😳 thats just ridiculous. Really pleased about the seats and glad you're happy 😊 👍🏻
Solar, now that's an idea!
I wish I could get this car in Korea. Samsung is a partner with Renault as far as I understand, but they only offer something called the SM3 ZE.
Ecotricity pricing hasn't been done by the hour for ages, and there's now no per-session fee. 41kWh from flat would cost £12.30 at current pricing, or £6.15 if you're an Ecotricity customer.
Could the reason for the 41kW battery (instead of 60kW) be cost?
Still this car is not very economic as mentioned. :)
Ruben Kelevra possibly, but Chevy have done it at a reasonable price. I'd pay more if I knew it would do the specified real range.
I thought the Zoe had a button that would engage Econo mode, sports mode, or similar to save on power? That wasn't mentioned during the review.
Valter Vilar this modes are just vapoware. They limit the commendable torque and might restrict the maximum speed, nothing you cannot achieve with simply less aggressiv driving. Tesla has the only "eco" mode which does more - it's deactivating one Motor and inverter which reduces the static powerloss of one motor/inverter, called range mode.
And yes, the eco-stuff does also altering heat and cooling for the cabin, but you can also just select lower fan speed or a higher/lower temperature. To achieve the same manually. It's a convenient feature and does not increase the efficiency of the car.
Thanks! I didn't think that there was magic invoived but I thought it would turn off some things that the driver didn't really need... Crap... I give up on looking for an EV! I will probably think about it again in 5 years from now when the Tesla popular car is finally out.
I had hopes that this revision of the Zoe would be a bit of game changer.. but not now. Can't help but think that its driving motor is nowhere near as efficient as that in the Ioniq, this coupled with primitive re-generating is surely limiting what could be achieved with a 41 kwh battery as the Ioniq can do damn near as good a range as this with 27 kwh's worth of storage! Totally agree with your list of preferences on EV's James, the BMW i3 reigns supreme under Tesla in my books too, though I might now add that the Zoe only just beats the Kia Soul because of a slight range gain
Adrian King I forgot the Soul, a great car and fingers crossed due an increase soon which would bring it right back up. I agree the i3 is a winner and I discounted Tesla based on price, they're not in the same area yet, until the Model 3 arrives.
anyone else trying to figure out what the tatoo says on James left arm ...??
its perfect for shopping
To my understanding if you have to use brakes to stop then you don't have regen ability. In most EV you have to change your settings to turn the regen on.
Haven't driven one yet, but I find the 0-60 acceleration of 13.5 secs a bit sluggish. And it's a bit too small for my needs. The Ioniq with a 41kWh battery would be nice.
The Ioniq is getting an upgrade shortly. Why they put a 28/30 in is strange only to announce an upgrade so shortly afterwards is beyond me.
This is why tealar have it right, and the lead is excellent .but Renault have some work to do. I'm charging economy 7 only on our ion and it's brill . I need a 150 plus range for me so u can home charge only. Can you get your hands on an ioniq?
We've done an Ioniq a few weeks ago, haven't you seen it...????
+James and Kate
I can't find it on your video listing?
The ioniq is supposed to be very efficient, looks like a cheap Telsa copy !
So you recon I3 best ?
I'm very sold after the wife ev is now working a treat for us, so I may convert myself next :>)
407bug m.th-cam.com/video/c3yu37Bqk3s/w-d-xo.html
407bug that should link you to it. Personally, it would be an i3 but all depends on your budget 👍🏻
I've ordered one of these !
audioorigami great stuff, hope you enjoy it. Let us know how you get on 😊👍🏻
What people fail to realize with smaller EV's is they prioritize efficiency over sport. So they use hard tires with low rolling resistance which cause traction to suffer. In contrast, the high-end Tesla EV's use large sticky tires because they are expensive luxury EV's. They don't suffer the back end breaking loose and constant ABS activating in wet weather. This is very much due to a lack of traction. Also, many Tesla's are 4 wheel drive. This makes a big difference in performance. This lack of traction in the smaller EV's affects the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, the Chevrolet Bolt/Opel Ampera-E twins and, to a lesser degree the BMW I3. Also the Hyundia Ioniq. It is skittish in wet, cold weather as well. UK weather is often wet and cold. A change in tires would go a long way to solve this problem on all these EV models I mentioned.
I'd agree with that. It would be nice if all EV's were 4WD.
Thanks for the test. What puts me off the Zoe most is the charging system. Its just too slow. Mostly I could use the Zoe, most of my distance is relatively low, but a few times a year I must drive to my in-laws which is 1000Km one way. I would like to get there in less than a week ;)
Currently the Ioniq is top of my list, then the Ampera-e (perhaps) and the i3.
Victor Wood you're spot on. They need to make one system that's fast and fit it to all of their vehicles, job done. It would be nice if all the manufacturers went with one plug. Any chance of a Tesla...???
James and Kate if you buy me one!
I think at the moment either the ioniq which I loved when I test drive it or possibly the i3 but the equipment level isn't so good compared to the ioniq.
Victor Wood we'd love to but buying ours was a stretch. The Ioniq is a great car, I'd struggle to choose between that an an i3, but the price may do that for you. Currently some good deals on used i3's with great specs
Sadly, this car fails to utilize the bigger amount of energy with the new battery. Since it's designed as a city car, the efficiency at higher Speeds is quite bad, however if you want to use the increased range, you'll most likely get on the Highway or at least travel at higher speeds. To me it seems like, the Designers made a bit of a misconception, thinking EVs would only be used for city driving, so they created small, tall vehicles, like this one, the i3, ...
However, most people also like to use them for longer trips, but then the efficiency is quite bad. Hyundai and Tesla are the only manufacteurs who focused on good efficiency at higher Speeds - which makes much more sense, since range really isn't much of an issue in city driving.
Yeah thats very true. I can average 330 whpm in our S60 at 80/85 mph. Drop it to 70 and you're at 300. Makes long distance travel easy and painless.
the charging here is fair enough. 25c(average, some have 20c but with a starting fee) for plenty of 22kW chargers. heck, my electricity providers even has a deal where i could charge on one of the biggest network of AC charging in the country for free(3h limit but thats ok, i guess) with a 1.2€/month membership(costumers of the company only). the problem with the car is that while i don't often drive over 250 miles, the 2h charging time is a bit much. oh and the battery renting is kind of a raw deal since they still charge 6k€ to buy the battery.
Don't you think it's unfair to compare the Zoe model you're driving in this test given its price to the other evs you list and prefer which are all considerably more expensive?
No I think as it stands, outside of Tesla the Zoe is in competition with everything. Thats because people are largely buying based on range currently not so much interior quality and space. In a few years the segments will become more defined.