In June, Renault set a new all-time record for electric vehicles sales. The month saw sales of 4,498 EVs, which was 56% higher than a year ago, and 350+ units higher than the previous all-time record set in March.
For the Renault brand, EVs (not including the city Twizy) stand at 1.65% share of all sales in June, and 1.4% for the first half of 2017.
Renault electric vehicle sales in June:
Renault ZOE – 4,251 (up 73%)
Renault Kangoo Z.E. – 245 (down 42%)
In the first six months, Renault has sold total nearly 18,900 electric cars (up 34%), including nearly 17,300 ZOE.
Europe:
“Renault maintained its lead in the electric vehicle segment with a market share of 26.8%. Sales volumes increased 34%. Registrations of ZOE, Europe’s top-selling electric vehicle, rose 44%.”
France:
“ZOE remains the clear leader in the electric vehicle market, accounting for almost 70% of electric passenger car sales in France with over 9,200 registrations – a year-on-year increase of over 42%.”
The Kangoo Z.E. doesn’t account for many sales, but the new longer-range version maybe will enable higher sales.
Ask a North American driver to name companies that make electric cars, and you’ll probably hear Tesla, maybe Nissan, and perhaps Chevy or BMW or Toyota.
Longer-range Renault Zoe electric car, introduced at 2016 Paris Motor Show
Chinese drivers may be more likely to say BYD (and perhaps Tesla), but Europeans will likely name Renault. (And Tesla.)
The Renault Zoe, now in its fifth year but entirely unknown to U.S. and Canadian buyers, continues to be the best-selling battery-electric car in Europe.
Its maker is part of the longstanding Renault Nissan Alliance, which recently added Mitsubishi to become the fourth largest automaker in the world collectively.
The French maker just released its first-half global sales figures, and the Zoe continues to dominate the sales charts within Europe.
In Europe, as Renault notes, overall the carmaker had 26.8 percent of the market for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
Longer-range Renault Zoe electric car, introduced at 2016 Paris Motor Show
Its first-half sales volumes grew 34 percent, and registrations of the subcompact hatchback Zoe rose 44 percent.
That meant the Zoe remains Europe’s top-selling electric vehicle.
One factor that may keep the Zoe, which went on sale in late 2012, at the top of the charts is this year’s substantial upgrade in battery capacity.
There weren’t cars only on display inside the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC) at the launch. There were also a large number charging up outside, presumably getting ready for test drives for the public for the opening the next day.
Electric cars ready for free test drives in Milton Keynes (Image: T. Larkum)
The large numbers and broad range of EVs available was impressive.
How about a quick quiz: can you identify them all? The answers are given below.
Electric cars ready for free test drives in Milton Keynes (Image: T. Larkum)
Of course, whether you own an EV or are considering your first, you’re welcome to test drive any of the vehicles on show for free. Just get in touch and we’ll help arrange it.
Answers to the Quiz: these are the electric cars waiting to give test drives (from nearest the camera to furthest away):
Slough Borough Council has purchased three Renault Zoe EV vehicles as staff pool cars.
The purchase follows Slough Borough Council’s ‘journey to clean air’ initiative, as part of its low emissions strategy.
The pool car scheme is part of Slough’s wider fleet challenge programme, providing ‘environmentally friendly’ solutions for staff travel to meetings, site inspections and client visits. This all helps towards Slough’s aim to decarbonise its fleet.
Leader of Slough Borough Council Cllr Sohail Munawar said:
“The fleet challenge is just one of the ways we are making a difference to our communities and our environment. By introducing a pool of both ultra-low emissions electric cars and e-bikes, we are moving towards that goal.
“Forty staff tried the Renault Zoe and the feedback was excellent. They found it easy to drive and the controls clear and simple to understand. The charging lead is easy to connect and the range the car offers makes it ideal as a pool car.
The three Zoe Dynamique iNav R90 Z.E.40 models were sourced through Renault Croydon and have been fitted with the optional rear-view parking camera.”
Groupe Renault UK’s national fleet manager Mark Potter said:
“We’re delighted that Slough Borough Council has chosen the Renault Zoe as its first electric pool car. The Zoe creates no emissions at the tailpipe, and with the 250-mile range (NEDC) available from its Z.E.40 battery, it will be able to complete return journeys across the borough without needing to stop and charge up again. We are sure staff will also enjoy its smooth, quiet performance and fun character.”
One of the leading on-demand ridesharing companies has committed to charging its forthcoming autonomous electric vehicle fleet with electricity from renewable sources.
Renault ZOE / nuTonomy
One of the promises of services such as Lyft and Uber (which are called ridesharing platforms but are more like dispatchers for freelance taxis) is that they will reduce the need for car ownership, and that they will bring down the total number of cars driving in cities, thereby also decreasing vehicular emissions.
The logical next step in that clean transport play is to move to greener cars, such as hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and full electric vehicles, and the one beyond that is using autonomous cars, while the third move looks to be a combination of electric mobility and self-driving cars. But although those steps, in conjunction with things like walkable neighborhoods and clean last-mile vehicles, can help move us forward in terms of a more sustainable transportation model, one of the many environmental elephants in the room is the origin of the energy powering this EV evolution, which in many places is still predominantly fossil fuels.
According to a blog post from Lyft co-founders, the company is committed to using 100% renewable electricity to charge its forthcoming fleet of autonomous electric vehicles, right from the get-go, beginning with the nuTonomy self-driving vehicle pilot program launching in Boston this year.
Milton Keynes is the best place for EV spotting. It has so many electric cars that you get to see all sorts.
Here’s an odd mix charging up at lunchtime today. At the left is a Vauxhall Ampera, essentially a rebadged GM Volt, and no longer made. In the middle is the ubiquitous Renault ZOE.
On the right is a Mercedes C350e, the first electric Mercedes I’ve seen in the flesh.
Renault received commendations in two categories at last night’s Auto Express Awards with ZOE in the Electric Award category and All-New Grand Scénic in the Best MPV category.
The Renault ZOE, fitted with the new 250-mile range (NEDC) Z.E.40 battery, was commended in the Electric Award category. The Renault ZOE’s new Z.E. 40 battery delivers almost double the range of the previous battery, providing motorists with an electric vehicle option that is better suited to many lifestyles with the average daily commuting distance being well within the ZOE’s capabilities.
The All-New Grand Scénic, recently launched in the UK, was commended in the Best MPV category.
Commenting on the commendations, Graham Hope, Editor at Auto Express said: “The ZOE is doing a great job of making electric motoring a realistic option for more and more buyers. With its increased range, it makes running an EV viable for many, it doesn’t cost the earth to own and it’s an enjoyable car to drive, too.
Vincent Tourette, Managing Director, Groupe Renault UK, said of the results:
“The 2017 ZOE with the Z.E.40 battery, as well as interior and exterior upgrades, builds on its previous success and now delivers the longest range of any mainstream electric vehicle. We’re delighted that Auto Express have commended these as vehicles in their respective segments.”
If you’re looking for a true game-changing company in the automotive arena, it’s the Renault-Nissan Alliance, not Tesla, that has a firm grasp on the future.
Renault ZOE
With all the talk of climate change and the Paris Agreement, ask yourself if you’ve ever heard of the Renault Zoe. Probably not. It’s an electric vehicle (EV) sold by French automaker Renault. It’s also the most popular EV in Europe and is mechanically similar to the Nissan Leaf we have here in the U.S. So why should you care about this French EV? One simple reason: Automakers are serving a global market whether they like it or not and Renault-Nissan will soon be setting the agenda for EVs around the world. Partly thanks to partnerships between Nissan, Renault and now Mitsubishi, the Zoe is the perfect barometer for global EV success or failure.
According to CleanTechnica, an EV website, of the top-selling EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in Europe, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have the top three spots for in 2016 and that trend continues into 2017. In total, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles make up 6 of the top 30 spots, including some oddballs like the Outlander PHEV, Renault Kangoo ZE and Nissan e-NV200. Only VW Group has more total vehicles in the top 30.
EVs Replace Diesel?
Eventually, EVs will replace diesel as the budget and eco-friendly option. Last year, I spoke to a Renault-Nissan executive, and he said that affordable diesel-powered small cars are likely the first to gradually disappear given the stricter emissions regulations coming to the E.U. The main reason is that the cost of compliance is getting to be a serious obstacle. In short, as emissions requirements become increasingly stringent, the cost of building compliant cars will go up. The U.S. pulling out of the Paris Agreement won’t change automakers’ global strategy, but China deferring compliance until 2030 may remove some of the urgency of the agreement.
The first area to feel this will be small, typically inexpensive cars where the buyers are very price-conscious. Renault-Nissan Alliance Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn echoed those sentiments at a press conference at the Paris Auto Show in 2016. And judging by his comments and how he essentially spun every emissions question into a talking point about EVs and the Zoe/Leaf, the next version of that car will likely put the Renault-Nissan Alliance in the catbird seat when it comes to global EV sales.
Maybe they’re already there: If budget friendly, diesel-sipping small cars go away, the next best option for budget-strapped motorists is an EV like the Zoe. According to Forbes, Renault-Nissan is on track to sell nearly 10.5 million vehicles in 2017, second only to Toyota. Therefore, Alliance decisions and innovations are bound to have a ripple effect on the global automotive marketplace.
Being faced with any issue on a standard petrol car is bad enough, we have been used to these mechanics for years, but what happens when your car is electric and something goes wrong?
Arranging a time for repair is the same as any car, and I found Renault Customer Services to be very helpful, they acted straight away getting me a courtesy hire car with no delay. However I was disappointed that it wasn’t an electric car, I was given a Petrol Renault Twingo.
I must say, it felt like I was driving something much older than 2 years, it felt archaic and awkward. While there was nothing actually wrong with this little car, I soon realised that the Renault ZOE is much more than a regular car.
Renault Twingo & Renault ZOE
The benefits alone are undeniable, with this petrol car I was now paying parking at almost £5 per day, using a petrol station felt grubby and the cost of fuel (£32.55 for one tank) was twice as much as a month’s worth of ‘electric fuel’ in my ZOE. Luckily Renault Customer Services were understanding and agreed to pick up all of these expenses that I’d otherwise have not incurred. Aside from the running costs I must say, I really missed the serenity and ease of driving the ZOE, with its automatic driving (there are no gears), reversing camera and quick acceleration to name but a few features I really like in the ZOE.
After what felt like an age, I was finally reunited with my ZOE. I won’t miss the Renault Twingo but if nothing else the time spent with this little petrol car made me realise that I had made the right decision going electric and I won’t be looking back.
The ride-sharing platform Lyft has been quite active through partnerships in the self-driving space. It took an important $500 million from GM to work with them on the deployment of autonomous cars in their fleet. They also announced a similar deal with Alphabet’s Waymo last month.
Now they announce another partnership with a self-driving car startup, nuTonomy, in order to use their vehicles for a fleet in the US – starting in Boston.
nuTonomy already operates similar test programs in Boston and Singapore, but through this partnership with Lyft, customers will be able to experience the vehicles through the ride-sharing app:
“The collaborative R&D effort will take place in Boston, MA, where nuTonomy has been testing its self-driving electric cars since the beginning of the year. The tests are being conducted in Boston’s Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park and the adjacent Seaport and Fort Point neighborhoods. An engineer from nuTonomy rides in each of its vehicles during testing to observe system performance and assume control if needed.”
What is also interesting here is that nuTonomy has been using electric vehicles as a platform for its self-driving technology, namely the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Renault Zoe.
“Thousands” of the vehicles should end up in the new program in Boston as the two companies develop the technology.
Karl lagnemma, CEO and Co-founder of nuTonomy, commented on the announcement:
“By combining forces with Lyft in the U.S., we’ll be positioned to build the best passenger experience for self-driving cars. Both companies care immensely about solving urban transportation issues and the future of our cities, and we look forward to working with Lyft as we continue to improve our autonomous vehicle software system.”
Here’s a demonstration of nuTonomy’s latest autonomous driving system:
