How pleasant is EV precursor to deal with?
The Renault Zoe will be with us for ten years in 2023. Together with the Nissan Leaf, it is one of the forerunners in the electric segment and for a long time was the only rechargeable offering in the Clio class. In addition to an electric car, was it also a nice car to own? Owners answer.
Over the years, the Renault Zoe has been fitted with new engines and battery variants a number of times, changes that you could not see from the outside. In 2019, the car received a new face, a fresh dashboard and fresh engine and battery variants. Where the first Zoe had to make do with a battery pack with 25.9 kWh gross (and 22 kWh net), these values have now increased to 54.7 and 52 kWh. It resulted in a more than doubling of the driving range. In addition, the Zoe became faster, the engine power increased from the original 88 to a maximum of 135 hp.
Is the Renault Zoe a suitable electric family car?
In terms of dimensions, the Renault Zoe is quite comparable to its petrol brother Clio, the Volkswagen Polo and models such as Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa. Or does that also happen in practice? “The space is good for each other. My previous car was a Punto Evo, known to be the most spacious in its class. The Zoe does even a little better. The space in the front and rear are comparable, but the boot space is clearly larger,” writes the owner of a 2014 copy.
He receives support from the driver of a short-lease Zoe. “Trunk and interior space are generous for class. It can easily fit two adult labradors in the back and also two child seats in the back seat.” We do assume that the dogs and the child seats are not transported at the same time. The next driver also finds the Zoe very suitable as a family car. “The car seems small, but we have three children and they can get in with two car seats without any problems.”
There are also less practical matters, this driver describes: “The rear doors open with an alternative lever, which is incorporated in the window pillar. I can’t open the door with one hand. With one hand you use the door handle (a kind of button that you press) and with the other hand you pull the door open. You can certainly live with it, but a ‘regular’ handle is really much more convenient.”
Not a typical French
Is the Zoe a typical French car when it comes to comfort? Owners don’t think so. “In terms of suspension comfort, the car is stiff, but can still be called comfortable,” writes the driver of a Zoe Q90 from 2017. Okay, is it a playful crack iron? “No, don’t buy this car if you want to take a few country roads. The car does not invite at all to take the corners faster than normal. If you do, the electronic systems will soon intervene.”
The former owner of a Twingo endorses this experience. “It’s not the iron that my Twingo diesel was, you notice that the car is heavy. The car has stiff suspension, which makes it quite okay in corners, but thresholds are uncomfortable, as are potholes in the road or driving on poor road surfaces. But for 90% of the kilometers you are sitting comfortably.”
The first generation Renault Zoe.
The chassis may not necessarily be comfortable, the Zoe has another strong asset. This owner of an early Zoe, who also has a Citroën C5, describes it as follows. “Super nice. I didn’t think either of us would rather drive the Zoe than the C5. Apparently, quietness and smooth acceleration are also important comfort factors.”
A striking number of owners have criticized the seating furniture. “The chairs look great, beautifully and solidly designed, but quite frankly they promise more than they deliver. It’s certainly not a bad fit, but somehow they feel like they weren’t made for me.” It does not appear to be the owner’s fault. “The chairs are sparsely executed. No lumbar support and only the height and position of the backrest can be adjusted” and “I don’t think the seats are optimal. They give little support in the lower back and I prefer a lower seat” are other comments. Of course nothing is as personal as a car seat, but in this case it is certainly recommended to test it extensively before purchasing a Zoe.
And the driving range?
Where we usually disregard fuel consumption in this section – after all, we have the ‘practical consumption’ section for that – you cannot escape this with an electric car. After all, it is a lot more relevant with such a model because of the range to be achieved. There is therefore no owner to be found who avoids the subject of ‘driving range’. Now Zoe drivers are often pioneers with a corresponding attitude, so that they know well what they can and cannot expect from their car. In the reviews we read little about range anxiety.
The ‘original’ Zoe, with a net 22 kWh battery capacity, gives this owner about 140 to 150 km of range. “Our use is a mix of city traffic, regional ring work and highway. Incidentally, your range on inland roads would be considerably greater, and if you drive in a traffic jam you can even get to Groningen from Utrecht.” Still, you have to pay attention on longer journeys, notes the owner of a younger copy. “The rangefinder isn’t as accurate as you’d hope. You have to keep a close eye on that and certainly not drive to the last kilometer.”
Degradation and battery upgrade
Whether the range will hold up over the years depends on several factors. The owner of a used Zoe has had the battery status checked after 123,000 km. “If the battery degenerates as little as the first seven years in the coming years (now 2 percent less than new) then I expect to drive it for at least another 25,000 km. But actually I want to do it for another ten years. Then it becomes really environmentally friendly. Or rather, ‘less environmentally harmful’.” A copy with almost 190,000 km on the counter did considerably less well in a test by AutoWeek. In that case, it is nice for owners if they use the battery rental construction, which Renault has since abandoned.
For those experiencing battery degradation or simply wanting to extend driving range, Renault offers a unique service: an upgrade of the battery pack. For example, this owner had the original 22 kWh battery replaced after 100,000 km with a copy with a 40 kWh capacity in order to almost double the driving range to a practical range of about 210 to about 260 kilometers.
In addition to the possible battery degradation, there are a number of points for attention. For example, a singing sound can indicate a defective reduction gearbox and the heater motor can eventually produce additional noises. In addition, the R-link media and navigation system gives interference to some users and several owners report that functions load too slowly. “The reversing camera isn’t everything either: you’re already parked before it kicks in, unless you wait 10 seconds.” These points aside, judging by user reviews, the Zoe proves to be a pretty reliable companion. We read more than once that after the first Zoe, the purchase of a new one follows.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl