Category Archives: ZOE

E-Car Club launches in Scotland

Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, ZOE

The University of St Andrews, together with Transport Scotland and E-Car Club have launched Scotland’s largest all electric, community car club.

St Andrews now has a fleet of 10 electric vehicles (8x Renault ZOE hatchbacks and 2x Renault Kangoo vans) which residents, businesses and visitors can hire by the hour; making the it Scotland’s most densely populated EV town.

The launch, hosted in the town’s central Church Square, gave residents and visitors the opportunity to meet with representatives from E-Car Club, the University of St Andrews, Renault and Carplus.

The E-Car Club represents a positive step in reducing the towns’ emissions from transport and towards the University of St Andrews’ goal of becoming the UK’s first carbon-neutral university.

For as little as an hour, or for several days, members can collect zero-emission vehicles from three locations; Agnes Blackadder Halls, The Gateway at North Haugh, and David Russell Apartments.

E-Car Club members will pay a £50 one-off joining fee for access to the scheme (£25 until 31 July) — with rental prices starting at £4.50 per hour or £35 per day (24 hours), including power and insurance.

Members will be supplied with a membership card and pin number which they can use to book the vehicles; either online or by phone. Once the vehicle is booked, the membership card can be swiped on the windscreen-mounted reader to unlock the vehicle.

The cars can generally travel around 65-90 miles on a single charge; putting Dundee and Edinburgh within easy reach, with their fantastic infrastructure of rapid charging units making even longer journeys an option.

Scottish Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay said:

“It is really exciting to see the nation’s first all EV car club launch in St Andrews, funded in part by the £1 million announced last summer for EVs in car clubs through the ‘Developing Car Clubs in Scotland’ programme.

“The Scottish Government is committed to achieving the target of almost total decarbonisation of road transport by 2050 because of the numerous benefits this will bring.”

Chris Morris, Managing Director of E-Car Club said:

“I’m delighted to be able to officially announce the launch of E-Car Club in St Andrews. This is particularly significant to us as our first scheme in Scotland – once home to many of the E-Car team including myself – and our largest single deployment of vehicles to date.”

Source: Next Green Car

Fuel Included ‘pop-up shop’ outside Milton Keynes Central railway station (Image: T. Larkum)

Free Electric Car Parking at Milton Keynes Station

Ampera, Blog, Charging, Electric Cars, Milton Keynes, Renault, Vauxhall, ZOE

One of the best benefits available for drivers of electric cars is that London Midland provides free car parking at its railway stations.

This is particularly attractive at two of its stations, Milton Keynes and Watford, as they have very high parking charges (an annual season ticket at these stations costs £1200 and £1093 respectively).

Fuel Included ‘pop-up shop’ outside Milton Keynes Central railway station (Image: T. Larkum)
Fuel Included ‘pop-up shop’ outside Milton Keynes Central railway station (Image: T. Larkum)

The deal is that London Midland provides a discount off a car parking permit at its station car parks for what it calls an “ECO friendly vehicle”. The discounts are as follows:

  • 50% discount on monthly, quarterly and annual parking permits if the vehicle emits no more than 120g of carbon dioxide every kilometre (120g/km).
  • 100% discount on monthly, quarterly and annual parking permit, if the vehicle is registered with the DVLA and has “Electric” fuel type. This can be checked on the vehicle registration document (V5C) sent by the DVLA.

Full details are given on the London Midland website for the parking permits and their associated discounts; they are very generous. Clearly if someone pays £200 per month to lease one of our electric cars, for example, they can get back half that money just from savings in parking charges.

Rapid Chargers next to Milton Keynes Central railway station parking (Image: T. Larkum)
Rapid Chargers next to Milton Keynes Central railway station parking (Image: T. Larkum)

We used this idea recently as the basis for a marketing campaign, in two parts. Firstly we set up a small ‘pop-up shop’ outside Milton Keynes Central station. This was done in a similar way to the school event we did late last year, with the ZOE on display and me chatting to passers-by. It ran for a couple of hours in the early evening to catch commuters on their way home.

Renault ZOE in Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey (Image: T. Larkum)
Renault ZOE in Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey (Image: T. Larkum)

Secondly, we did a pass through the station car park a couple of days later, putting fliers under the wipers of cars with season tickets in the windscreen to give information on the discount and our offers. While there I noticed there was a new pair of rapid chargers installed outside and awaiting commissioning, so it definitely looks like a welcoming location for electric cars.

Vauxhall Ampera in Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey (Image: T. Larkum)
Vauxhall Ampera in Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey (Image: T. Larkum)

Inside the multi-storey part of the car park there were already a couple of EVs in residence, a Renault ZOE and a Vauxhall Ampera. With a bit of luck there will be a lot more soon.

Living with ZOE

We think seeing is believing. That’s why we gave eight families – a mix of petrol-heads, gadget fans, commuters and school-runners – a week with the all-electric Renault ZOE. They all recorded their experiences with the help of a professional video crew, as well as dashboard-mounted cameras and a nightly video diary. And our users’ no-holds-barred reviews say more than we ever could…

See more: Living with ZOE

5 Reasons For Choosing An Electric Car

Electric Cars, Opinion, Renault, ZOE

Renault ZOE owner Séverin Groisne authored a post that appeared on the Renault-Nissan blog. The brief article focuses on exactly what the title states:

Five Reasons To Choose An EV

And here are those 5 reasons, along with a brief intro from Groisne:

When it comes to electric cars, it’s very difficult to find balanced advice… You have the idealists on the one hand, and the very sceptical people on the other. I’m going to try to be objective in demonstrating to you that driving electric can be just plain ‘normal’. So here are five good reasons why you should take a closer look at the electric option:

1/ NO MORE VISITS TO GAS STATIONS!
Petrol stations are so glamorous… Not! So no more nasty smells and greasy pump handles… plus you get to recharge your car at home at a modest cost.

2/ 70% OF DAILY DRIVES IN FRANCE ARE UNDER 50 KM
So even if a full tank lets you cover the length of France in a conventionally-powered car if the desire suddenly grips you, the ‘limited’ range of an electric vehicle is sufficient MOST OF THE TIME. Just remember to plug your car in just like you remember to recharge your phone.

3/ THE WORLD OF SILENCE
A quiet car encourages cool, smooth driving. You’ll find yourself less aggressive, especially on city streets. And you don’t need to turn up the radio volume anymore!

4/ MINIMAL SERVICING
Other than changing the interior air filter and checking things like tyres and brakes for wear, there’s nothing to do. No oil changes, no cam belt, no spark plugs… These things do count in terms of overall cost of ownership.

5/ THESE DAYS, THEY LOOK GOOD TOO
The days of characterless, unappealing electric cars are gone. My little ZOE is great to look at and even my kids are proud of it 😉

Source: Inside EVs

Renault ZOE Pretty In Pink

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE

Okay…show us your pinks.

pink-zoe_Renault_ZOE_Renault

Renault ZOE looks okay in pink, but we do wonder how a Tesla Model S or BMW i8 would look wearing this color.

We’ve seen lots of questionably customized ZOEs, so witnessing a pink-wrapped example isn’t surprising.

We would like to point out that customization of automobiles signifies a step beyond the appliance car idea. So, customization is a positive for electric cars, regardless of whether or not we like the path of customization that’s been chosen.

Source: Inside EVs

E-Car Club Renault ZOE (Image: E-Car Club)

UK’s 1st EV Car Club Adding ~100 New Vehicles By Mid-2015

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE

The first all-electric car club in the UK — the E-Car Club — is going to be experiencing some rapid growth this year, based on recent reports.

The club is apparently now set to increase its fleet by roughly 100 vehicles before the middle of 2015 — which means that the car club will have grown its fleet numbers more than 7-fold in just ~18 months.

To be exact, the E-car club is within the very near future going to be increasing the fleet from 15 vehicles to 60 — with another 50 expected to be added sometime during the next ~6 months, across its locations in the South East, London, and the Midlands.

For those that haven’t heard of the club/company before — it launched in October 2013 in east London. At the time of launch, it was offering only Renault ZOE and Fluence electric vehicles (EVs) to residents & businesses.

The company now offers higher end models such as the Nissan LEAF as well — and is planning to start offering “light commercial vehicles” such as Nissan eNV200s and Renault Kangoo ZEs sometime in the near future as well.

The club currently has roughly ~700 members (+ 15 business customers) based on figures that it has publicly shared. Members pay from £5.50 an hour and up to use EVs parked in dedicated charging spots.

The company has so far been pretty successful, hence the upcoming expansion — which is being funded by more than £1 million raised via investors. This figure reportedly includes a £500,000 investment from the Centrica-backed social impact fund Ignite.

The latest influx of vehicles is being provided by fleet services company Alphabet, which is supplying 35 electric vehicles — 23 Renault ZOEs, 5 Nissan LEAFs, and 7 Renault Kangoo ZE vans.

Publication: EV Obsession
Article: UK’s 1st EV Car Club Adding ~100 New Vehicles By Mid-2015
© 2015 EV Obsession

Driving school: your children will learn to drive with Renault Zoe

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE

Renault has introduced a special version of “driving school” Zoe. It’s to allow learner drivers to familiarize themselves with the electric car in their first hours of driving.

Available since January, the Zoe dedicated to driving schools had been formalized in October, since the Paris Convention of Network driver education centers (RECs). Fitted directly in Renault factories, it has double pedals and double interior and exterior mirrors.

Read more: Automobile-Propre

The Renault ZOE will benefit from a 35% discount from 1st April 2015

OLEV to increase plug-in car grant to 35%

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has announced changes to the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG). From 1st April 2015, buyers of eligible electric cars will be able to claim 35% of the vehicle’s OTR price as opposed to the 25% currently offered.

However, as the PiCG will remain capped at £5,000 (for the time being), these changes really only affect electric vehicles with an OTR under the £20,000 mark, such as the Renault Zoe.

To take account of rapidly developing technology, and the growing range of ULEVs on the market, the criteria for the Plug-in Car Grant is also being updated.

From April 2015, eligible ULEVs must meet criteria in one of the following categories depending on emission levels and zero-emission-capable mileage:

Category 1: CO2 emissions less than 50g/km & a zero emission range of at least 70 miles;
Category 2: CO2 emissions less than 50g/km & a zero emission range of 10 – 69 miles;
Category 3: CO2 emissions 50-75g/km & a zero emission range of at least 20 miles.

As announced in April 2014, vehicles in all categories will continue to be eligible for the full grant of up to £5,000, until 50,000 grants are issued or the end of the budget period, whichever occurs first. The new categories will better reflect the range of vehicles on the market and make them accessible to the widest range of people.

The popularity of Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) continues to rise sharply, with more than 25,000 Plug-in Car Grant and Plug-in Van Grant claims submitted since the scheme began in 2010.

The Renault ZOE will benefit from a 35% discount from 1st April 2015
The Renault ZOE will benefit from a 35% discount from 1st April 2015

Even the traditionally quiet January sales market saw nearly 2000 claims and total ULEV sales in 2014 were some 4 times the level of the previous year. The UK is now ahead of France and Germany in ULEV take-up, placing this country at the forefront of this green and cheap-to-run car technology.

The acceleration in popularity is matched by the growing number of ULEV models on the market with some 25 car models and 7 van models eligible for the plug-in grant. A further 40 ULEV models from major manufacturers are expected to come to market over the next 3 years.

With the announcement of the changes, Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said:

“More and more people are deciding a ULEV is the right choice for them. They are great to drive, easily chargeable at home or on the street, and cheap to use with running costs from just 2 pence a mile.

“The government’s £500 million investment will help more models become available to suit a wide range of budgets. This thriving industry will support jobs and build a stronger economy.”

In response to the news, Dr Ben Lane of Next Green Car & Zap-Map commented:

“The introduction of the three Plug-in Car Grant Categories indicates a significant shift in future policy. The likelihood is that future grants will differentiate between all-electric and plug-in hybrid models with official CO2 emissions of less than 50 g/km, and PHEVs with CO2 of 50-75 g/km.

“Should this turn out to be the case, we would support this change as it will ensure that any future grant system will target the highest-quality electric vehicles with the lowest CO2 emissions and longest EV-only range.”

Source: OLEV

Renault respond to OLEV funding announcement

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE
  1. Renault welcomes decision to introduce banding to Plug-in Car Grant
  2. Renault ZOE now up to £552 cheaper from 1 April 2015
  3. Renault EV sales in the UK rose 90 per cent in 2014

Renault welcomes the changes to the Plug-in Car Grant announced today by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

The Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) changes that will take effect from 1 April 2015 recognise the technological and environmental progress that vehicles have made since the original grant was announced in 2010 and provide further financial incentive for motorists to move to Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles such as the Renault Z.E. (Zero Emissions) range.

Commenting on the announcement, Ken Ramirez, Managing Director, Renault UK said:

“We welcome the changes announced today by OLEV as the move to a banding system for grant funding recognises the real-world practicality and zero tailpipe emission advantages that electric vehicles have over other types of alternative fuel vehicles.

“The Renault ZOE hatchback was already the most affordable electric vehicle on the market. The move to the 35 per cent funding for cars in the lowest emitting band will make ZOE even more affordable and encourage yet more motorists to move to zero tailpipe emission vehicles.”

The changes to the PiCG from 1 April 2015 mean that a Renault ZOE will reduce in price by £552 on the Expression trim level and by £152 on the Dynamique trim levels due to the move from a 25 per cent of vehicle value cap on the grant to a 35 per cent cap for vehicles in the new Band One (up to 75g/km and a range of 70 miles or above).

The Renault ZOE is a 5-door hatchback that has been designed from the ground-up to offer all the advantages of a practical supermini, including a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, with the environmental and running cost savings of a pure electric vehicle.

ZOE has an official NEDC range of 130 miles from one charge. Thanks to its patented Chameleon™ charger, and unlike its rivals, it is able to adapt itself and make the optimum use of any charging power source and therefore charge from empty to 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes – be that at home with the free charging wallbox that comes with the car when new or from a wide range of public sources.

Renault was a pioneer in the emerging electric vehicle market and offers a range of 100% electric cars and vans to suit most requirements. The ZOE supermini sits alongside the fun and distinctive Twizy urban run-around. Twizy is also available in a commercial vehicle version with a boot instead of a rear passenger seat – Twizy Cargo. Completing the Renault Z.E line-up is the Kangoo Van Z.E. – the perfect urban van for deliveries and tradesmen and is available in a range of bodystyles.

The Twizy is priced from £6,895, the ZOE from £13,995 (after the PiCG) and the Kangoo Van Z.E. from £12,995+VAT (after the Plug-in Van Grant).

Renault electric vehicle sales in the United Kingdom rose by 90 per cent in 2014, to 1,286 vehicles. Total Renault electric vehicle sales in Europe in 2014 stood at 17,580 vehicles – 11,231 of which were ZOEs, an amount up 27 per cent on 2013.

Source: Automotive World

Slow Charging near Peterborough Passport Office (Image: T. Larkum)

A Long Journey Easier with an Electric Car than a Conventional One

Blog, Electric Cars, Renault, ZOE

It doesn’t happen often, but we recently took a long trip in my ZOE that was easier than if we had taken a petrol or diesel car. We needed to travel to Peterborough Passport Office to renew my daughter’s passport at short notice.

Plan A was very straightforward – drive to Peterborough and slow charger there for the return journey. The beauty of this was that, with a bit of advance research, I found out that there was an electric car charging point and parking space on the same road as the Passport Office and very close to it.

Ecotricity Rapid Chargers at Haddon Services (Image: T. Larkum)
Ecotricity Rapid Chargers at Haddon Services (Image: T. Larkum)

As ever, I had a Plan B, a contingency in case of problems. That was to charge at Haddon Services on the A1(M) just outside Peterborough. Therefore on the way to Peterborough we called in at Haddon. However, the AC rapid charge point wasn’t working so we just headed straight on to Peterborough.

In fact, we needn’t have worried. We found the parking space and charger by the Passport Office very easily and it was operating fine. It worked first time – we then headed into the Office to do the necessary paperwork. We then headed around Peterborough, visiting the various shops and restaurants to kill the requisite four hours until the passport was ready.

Slow Charging near Peterborough Passport Office (Image: T. Larkum)
Slow Charging near Peterborough Passport Office (Image: T. Larkum)

Afterwards we unplugged and headed home. As the EV parking area was very close to the Passport Office and was neither occupied nor blocked (and, if memory serves me right we didn’t have to pay for parking), it turned out to be a long trip that was easier with an EV than if we had had a conventional car.