I heard the news from Renault in about the middle of December that there were just 11 of the Renault ZOE ‘Dynamique Nav’ still in ‘stock’, i.e. available to sell across the UK dealer network or in Renault’s south coast import yard. That is the 2015 model of the ZOE, the one with the 22kWh battery and the Renault motor (so with 80-100 miles of range). It is effectively the definitive model of the Renault ZOE so far.

Well I learned today that all stock has been sold – there are no more new 2015 ZOE’s available to order from stock anywhere in the UK (there is just one example of the lower ‘Expression’ model remaining in stock, but that model doesn’t get PCP support from Renault so has never been popular or successful – it represents something like just 1 in 20 of ZOE’s sold). What remain at dealers are just the few ZOE’s that have already been ordered (e.g. on ‘spec’ by a dealer, or cancellations) and we are currently tracking down the last ones for keen customers.

So the Renault ZOE as we have known it in the UK is no more. From now on all new orders taken will be for the 2017 model ZOE – the Renault factory in Cléon retooled to manufacture this model during last autumn and deliveries are due to customers from February/March.

Virtually all new orders will be for the long-range Z.E. 40 (41kWh) ‘Dynamique Nav’ and ‘Signature Nav’ models as, again, the new ‘Expression’ model (which only comes in the old short-range 22kWh form) gets so little PCP support that it is unlikely to sell in meaningful numbers in the UK.

I see this, then, as the end of an era. From now on the Renault ZOE will – in any meaningful sense – only be available in Z.E. 40 form. Renault have ditched sub-100 mile EVs (except, perhaps, on paper) and from now on will only produce 200 mile* EVs. That is a major milestone in the development of European EVs with meaningful ranges.

The king is dead – long live the king!

 

*well, 180-190 miles so close enough to 200 miles to count!