The oldest new electric cars you can buy

Those who regularly visit AutoWeek will undoubtedly notice that car manufacturers in Europe mainly bring new electric models to the market. Of course, new models without electric powertrains are still being presented, but the share of cars that only appear as EVs or, in addition to combustion engines, also with electrical hardware – think of the BMW i5 – is growing steadily. In the Netherlands you have been able to buy electric passenger cars for practically 15 years. For example, the Think City was already on the price lists in 2009, you could already step into an electric Kangoo Maxi ZE at Renault in 2011 and Nissan introduced the first generation Leaf in 2010. Tesla was also there early with the Roadster and at Citroën, Peugeot and Mitsubishi you could already get into a C-Zero, Ion or i-MiEV in 2010. Almost all models from those ‘early EV years’ have now been replaced by new models, but two basic old-timers are still for sale new. One is a large Tesla, the other a compact Renault.

Tesla Model S

Yes, the model that managed to make the electric car ‘desirable’ in the eyes of many has been running for over 11 years. The Tesla Model S was presented in production-ready form in June 2012 after the development process started years before. At the end of 2012, it was announced what the Tesla Model S should cost in the Netherlands. It was initially marketed as Model S 60 and Model S 85 and had a starting price of €72,600 at the time.

A Tesla Model S before it was refreshed.

The Tesla Model S, which you can still order new more than 11 years later, has of course been thoroughly developed technically. Over the years, Tesla has regularly reviewed the Model S, both optically and technically. In 2016 the model went under the knife, there were Dual Motor versions, the 70, 75 and 90 and P90D were introduced and there were even 100Ds. Eventually Tesla dropped the naming with numbers and opted for names like Standard Range, Long Range and Performance. In 2021, the Model S went under the knife even more thoroughly. The Tesla that started the great success not only got a new muzzle, but also a completely new interior and even a crazy Plaid version.

The starting price of the Tesla Model S is currently €107,490. You immediately get the Tesla Model S Dual Motor for that with a range of 723 kilometers and with which you can stomp from a standstill to a speed of 100 km / h in 3.2 seconds. The currently only other engine version is the Tesla Model S Plaid, the three-motor electric monster that treats you from €132,490 to a 0-100 sprint in just 2.1 seconds, a top speed of 322 km / h and range of – at 19 – inch alloy – 695 kilometers.

Used Tesla’s Model S are available in our used car range from around 24 grand. Then you get a 10-year-old copy with about 3 tons or more on the clock.

The first Zoe has been part of our endurance test garage.

Renault Zoe

Just like the Tesla Model S, the Renault Zoe also proves that you can continue to improve an electric car thoroughly without having to come up with a completely new model immediately. The Renault Zoe is even several months older than the Tesla Model S. After two concept cars with Zoe in the name – Zoé Concept from 2005 and the Zoe ZE Concept in 2009 – Renault showed the almost production-ready Zoe Preview. Just under two years later, the very similar final production version finally debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. As a result, the Zoe that you could actually buy was shown to the world a few months earlier than the definitive Tesla Model S. That makes the Renault Zoe the oldest new electric passenger car that you can buy in the Netherlands.

The Renault Zoe was initially only available with a 22 kWh battery pack and an 88 hp electric motor, but just like Tesla the Model S, Renault has also done its best to update and improve the Zoe over the years. For example, at the beginning of 2015, the Zoe received the new more compact and efficient R240 electric motor, which increased the range of the EV from 210 to 240 kilometers. More than a year later – at the Paris Motor Show in 2016 – Renault introduced another upgraded version of the Zoe, this time with a 41 kWh battery and a considerably longer range.

Like the Model S, the Zoe today is technically very different from the first version.

This does not yet summarize the Zoe story, because a 109 hp (R110) Zoe appeared in 2018 and a year later the electric Frenchman was more radically renewed. In that year, Renault introduced the thoroughly facelifted Zoe. It not only received a refreshed appearance, but also extensively upgraded technology. The Zoe was introduced to a 52 kWh battery pack, a copy that was twice the size of the first pack with which the electric Renault came on the market. The 52 kWh battery could be combined with the R110 and with the then new R135 electric motor. Just like the Model S, the Zoe hardly resembles the version that appeared on the market more than 11 years ago. With those powertrains, the Zoe is still for sale today. The just under 110 hp Zoe is available as Equilibre from €34,895. The stronger 136 hp Zoe with the same 52 kWh battery is available from €36,195 (Evolution). The range is up to 395 kilometers.

Used Renaults Zoe are available in our used range from around 7 to 8 mille. Here too, you will receive one of the older copies.

The second generation Leaf is now also six years old.

And further?

There are more relatively older electric models for sale, but none of them are basically as old as the Renault Zoe or Tesla Model S. The Tesla Model X dates from 2015 and the current second-generation Nissan Leaf is already running six years along. The electric SUV from Audi, now called Q8 e-tron, started life in 2018 simply as ‘e-tron’ and the Jaguar I-Pace and Hyundai Kona Electric were also presented in that year. There is now a new electric Kona, but it is not yet for sale in the Netherlands and Hyundai still has the 2020 facelifted version of the original in its range.