Category Archives: ZOE Z.E. 40

Renault prepares to double output of Zoe EV

July 28, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

FLINS, France — Renault is preparing to double production of the full-electric Zoe at its factory here outside Paris. The surge in output as part of a billion-euro investment in electric vehicles by the French automaker.

A new version of the Zoe will appear next year, the first substantial change to the small battery-driven hatchback since its introduction at the end of 2012.

Renault ZOE at our test drive event in Milton Keynes (Image: J. Tisdall)

The Zoe was the top-selling EV in Europe from 2015-2017, but so far this year it has been narrowly overtaken by the redesigned Nissan Leaf, from Renault’s Japanese alliance partner.

Last year about 30,000 Zoes were produced at the Flins plant, with a total of 100,000 made since the model’s debut. Renault officials want to increase the rate of production to about 440 per workday from about 220 per day.

The factory will use its traditional August recess to prepare for the increase. This will include upgrading the in-house battery assembly area, officials said earlier this month at an event that included a tour of the plant.

The Flins factory, which opened in 1952, makes Renault Clio hatchbacks, the Nissan Micra hatchback and the Zoe on the same production line. Last year, about 63,000 Clios and 94,000 Micras were produced at the plant.

Recent upgrades to Renault’s EV range, which includes the Twizy, which is an electric alternative to a scooter, and two electric vans, have been focused on range and power, but that is about to change.

In addition to the redesigned Zoe, likely to be on the existing architecture, the company’s Drive the Future strategic plan calls for a total of eight EVs by 2022. Some of those EVs will be on a new alliance platform called CMF-EV set to debut no earlier than 2020. Vehicles on that platform will be built at Renault’s plant in Douai, northern France.

Renault Launches Electric Car-Sharing Service in Paris

July 19, 2018Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., Master Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

The automaker and city officials will also collaborate on future mobility services

Many European countries are considering ending sales of new gasoline and diesel cars, but the city of Paris isn’t waiting around. The French capital has already tested a “day without cars,” and has discussed banning internal-combustion cars by 2030. That makes Paris the perfect place to launch an electric car-sharing service.

The Renault Electric Z.E. Range (Image: Renault)

Renault has teamed up with the city government to give Parisians access to electric cars. The automaker hopes the to continue working with Paris officials on future mobility services. For now, Renault is deploying a fleet of electric cars in Paris that residents will be able to access 24/7.

Cars set aside for longer journeys will be kept in designated parking lots and accessed via special stations. Other cars, designated for shorter journeys, will be accessible without the stations. Available cars will include the Renault Zoe hatchback, the Twizy neighborhood electric vehicle, and the Kangoo ZE and Master ZE vans. Renault hopes to have a fleet of 2,000 vehicles in operation by the end of 2019.

As a next step, Renault and city officials will initiate a “working group,” open to other cities and companies, “whose aim will be to think collectively about the integration of changes in mobility in the city,” a Renault press release said. The automaker hopes to involve the C40 network, a coalition of some 100 cities chaired by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Final testing before the rouen normandy autonomous lab on-demand mobility service opens to the public

July 10, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

Métropole Rouen Normandie, Transdev Group, Groupe Renault, Matmut – partners in the Rouen Normandy Autonomous Lab initiative – are testing, with the support of the Normandy Region and Banque des Territoires, the first on-demand shared mobility service to use autonomous vehicles on open roads in Europe. The service will be made available to the public in the final quarter of 2018 with four autonomous Renault ZOE all-electric vehicles and an i-Cristal autonomous urban shuttle jointly developed by Transdev and Lohr.

The Rouen Normandy Autonomous Lab service will provide extensive coverage in Rouen’s “Technopôle du Madrillet” business park in Saint-Etienne du Rouvray through connections to the “Technopôle” tram stop. The goal is to provide mobility solutions in an area to which conventional public transportation services are poorly suited, in a first-mile and last-mile approach. Users can call a vehicle in real-time from the smartphone app.

Renault ZOE Z.E. 40 Example Colours (Image: Renault) — Renault ZOE Z.E. 40 (Image: Renault)

The vehicles will run on three routes covering a distance of 10 kilometres, with 17 stops across the district and a link to the Rouen public transportation system.

The four Renault ZOE all-electric cars used in the project are already being tested on open roads and are equipped with autonomous systems developed by Transdev and Renault. The tests cover all considerations related to typical traffic conditions, such as other vehicles, intersections, rotaries and building exits. The fleet will also feature an i-Cristal autonomous urban shuttle jointly developed by Transdev and Lohr.

After a period of tests, this on-demand experimental service is due to be made available to the public in September 2018, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals, and will the run until December 2019. This trial will provide an opportunity to fine-tune the technology and gain insight into usage and take-up among local residents to enable necessary adjustments.

Renault Confirms “New Alliance Electric Platform” New Electric Vehicle Family

July 5, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

One billion euros is a lot of cash, even for an automaker as successful and strong from a financial standpoint as Renault. As part of the Drive the Future strategy, the French automaker said that it’s investing more than that “to accelerate investments for the development and production of electric vehicles” in its domestic market.

Aiming to strengthen the industrial base in France, jumping on the EV bandwagon is the right thing to do. A considerable chunk of the one billion euros will go into the introduction of “a new Alliance electric platform” that will be manufactured in Douai. There, the company will open its second electric vehicle manufacturing site.

Regarding the assembly plant in Flins, Renault confirmed that it’s doubling production capacity of the Zoe subcompact hatchback. This decision comes as a result of an increase of 44 percent in registrations in 2017. The automaker’s growth in EV sales in Europe stands at 38 percent, boasting a 23.8-percent market share.

Over in Cleon, the company will “triple electric motor production capacities” and introduce “a new generation electric motor from 2021.” This news comes days after Renault updated the Zoe to R110 specification, improving the output to 109 PS.

Renault invests over $1 billion to accelerate electric vehicle production in France

June 26, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

With the success of the Zoe, Renault has become a leader in electric vehicles in Europe.

Now the French automaker wants to keep the momentum going with an investment of over 1 billion euros to accelerate electric vehicle production in France.

The new plan includes several initiatives.

Renault listed them in a press release today:

Introduce a new Alliance electric platform in Douai to create a second Renault electric vehicle production site;
Double ZOE production capacity and the launch of a new ZOE at Flins, the only ZOE production site in the world;
Triple electric motor production capacities at Cleon and introduce a new generation electric motor from 2021.
Invest in Maubeuge for the production of the next generation of the Kangoo family, including the electric utility vehicle Kangoo Z.E.

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault, said about the announcement:

“The acceleration of our investments in France for electric vehicles will increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of our French industrial sites. Within the framework of its Drive the Future strategic plan and with the Alliance, Groupe Renault is giving itself the means to maintain its leadership in the electric vehicle market and to continue to develop new sustainable mobility solutions for all.”

EV triple test: Hyundai Ioniq Electric v Renault Zoe v Nissan Leaf

August 30, 2017Electric Cars, Hyundai, IONIQ Electric, Leaf 30kWh, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, ZOE Z.E. 40Jo

With the announcement of the 2040 ban on all new petrol and diesel cars, we get behind the wheel of three electric vehicles to see if the future really is green.

(L to R) Nissan LEAF, Hyundai IONIQ, Renault ZOE

WHAT’S NEW?

Since the announcement of the 2040 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, all you read in the news is about how we’re all going electric. So if that’s the case, which is the best electric car to buy? We chose three to test – a Renault Zoe, Hyundai Ioniq and Nissan Leaf.

The Hyundai Ioniq is by far the newest and in our opinion one of the best-equipped. The Nissan and the Renault have both been around for some years now, and the Leaf is actually due to be replaced by a new model next year.

The Ioniq is Hyndai’s first attempt at making an all-electric car, and it’s very good.

Inside, the cabin feels solidly built and very comfortable. It also has lots of kit including, on our car, heated and cooled electric seats.

Next is the Renault Zoe, a great-looking little car with bags of character on the exterior alone. Step inside and it’s also a funky place to be. It also features the best-claimed range of the three EVs, with 250 miles on the NEDC cycle thanks to its new ‘Z.E. 40’ battery.

Finally, we have the Nissan Leaf, the oldest of the three in terms of design and this shows in its rather ungainly styling and outdated technology. It also has the lowest theoretical range with just 155 miles.

LOOKS AND IMAGE

This is where the Nissan Leaf falls down – massively. It is not appealing at all on the outside with its bulbous rear-end and huge headlights. This continues inside where it can best be described as dull and old-fashioned.

The Hyundai is in a different league. It looks fresh, funky and modern. Add a touch of colour and you have a car that will be very enjoyable to own. This continues inside too where it feels light and airy with a very easy to use dashboard and centre console.

The Renault is the best looking of the bunch. Its chic Parisian styling blends well with modern life and makes it look more premium than it actually is. However, this doesn’t quite continue inside. Although the cabin looks chic, it feels cheap, with the plastics belonging in a cheap supermini.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY

In terms of space, all three are roughly the same, offering ample leg, head and luggage space and a plethora of cubbyholes throughout the cabin.

The Hyundai feels a tad better than the other two, and has a fairly decent-sized boot at 350 litres – enough for some suitcases or a weekly shop. You can probably fit the family dog in there too.

The Zoe feels slightly smaller in comparison, but is more of a hatchback compared to the Ioniq’s saloon looks. It has a marginally smaller boot at 338 litres, but this would definitely be enough on a daily basis.

The Nissan Leaf boasts the largest boot at 370 litres. It also has a fairly large cabin, which can easily accommodate four adults.

Renault-Nissan Alliance Cumulative Electric Vehicle Sales Approach 500,000

August 26, 2017Electric Cars, Leaf 30kWh, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, ZOE Z.E. 40Jo

Renault-Nissan Alliance, after the acquisition of Mitsubishi, is now approaching 500,000 cumulative all-electric car sales – more than any other automotive group.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance includes also Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

At the end of June 2017, the Alliance counter stands at 481,151 units (some 130,000 more than year ago).

The biggest impact on the number comes from the Nissan LEAF and Renault ZOE.

The number doesn’t include plug-in hybrids – of which, new Alliance partner Mitsubishi has sold over 130,000 copies of the Outlander PHEV.

Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn with Renault ZOE and Nissan LEAF For COP21

“Cumulative sales of electric vehicles by the companies also rose significantly to 481,151 units, reaffirming the Alliance’s role as the leading electric car manufacturer for the mass-market segment.

The increase was driven primarily by demand for the Nissan LEAF and the Renault ZOE, which remains the #1 EV sold in Europe, and Mitsubishi’s i-Miev.”

Renault-Nissan Alliance is now aiming to become industry’s number-one automotive sales group for full year 2017.

Total Renault-Nissan Alliance increased in the first six months of 2017 by 7% to 5,268,079 million.

The newly updated Renault ZOE is the best selling EV for Europe so far in 2017

Here is list of Renault-Nissan Alliance brands (excluding joint ventures in China):

Renault (includes also Dacia, Alpine and Renault Samsung Motors)
Nissan (includes also Infiniti and Datsun)
Mitsubishi

And list of plug-in models:

Renault ZOE
Renault Kangoo Z.E.
SM3 Z.E.
Nissan LEAF
Nissan e-NV200
Mitsubishi i-MiEV and other MiEV family in Japan
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

There is also Renault Twizy – a heavy quadricycle.

Source: InsideEvs

Renault Sets New EV Sales Record In June At 4,500

August 13, 2017Electric Cars, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE Z.E. 40Jo

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.

Source: Inside EVs

Renault Zoe still dominates Europe electric-car sales; longer range boosts sales

August 12, 2017Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE Z.E. 40Jo

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.

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.

Electric Cars to Test Drive at the Experience Centre – How Many Can You Name?

July 27, 2017Blog, BMW, e-Up, Electric Cars, EVEC, Golf GTE, i3, i3 94Ah, Kia, Leaf, Milton Keynes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Outlander PHEV, Passat GTE, Renault, Soul EV, Volkswagen, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

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.

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):

Renault ZOE ZE40
Nissan Leaf
Volkswagen e-Up
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Kia Soul EV
BMW i3
Volkswagen Passat GTE
Volkswagen Golf GTE