Weirdo to hero in three steps
The Zoe has changed over its three generations, and so has the driving public’s readiness to accept an all-electric supermini. Does that include Ben Whitworth?
‘Oh, what a pretty little car you’ve got there!’ Not quite the anticipated response from my brother, sternest of car critics, the first time he spied our Zoe. He’s not wrong. Renault’s third-generation pure-electric supermini is a very dinky bit of design, helped by its perky proportions, neat detailing and zingy Celadon Blue paintwork.
While the Zoe’s silhouette may be familiar, it’s beneath the skin where the real transformation has taken place. When it was unveiled in 2013, the Zoe had a motor-dependent real-world range of between 70 and 110 miles. This latest Zoe has a reliable range of 238 miles, which means in seven years the Renault’s range has more than doubled. Imagine a petrol car pulling off that trick…
Imagine, too, having the wedge required to put this Renault on your driveway. This is the – deep breath – GT Line R135 Z.E. 50, the Zoe range-topper that weighs in at £28,620 after the government’s plug-in car grant.
According to Renault UK’s latest finance deal, that’s £332 a month for four years after a £2500 deposit. Punchy. But the flipside is that on my current electricity tariff of 14.23p per kWh it will cost me £7.40 per recharge, which equates to 3.1p per mile. That means an annual electricity bill of £373 if you cover 1000 miles a month. Colin Overland’s Clio – similarly sized but running a 1.3-litre blown petrol four – averaged 13.4 p per mile. He’d have to pay £1608 to cover the same annual distance.
The Zoe comes with a vast array of safety and infotainment kit for that money, and the installation of a 7kW domestic wallbox charger. Our test car included the 50kW DC rapid charge capability (£1000) and Winter Pack (£500) for hot seats and steering wheel.
In my first month with the Zoe I’ve found there’s a lot to love here, over and above those 3.1p-per-mile running costs. Up to 40mph it’s entertainingly brisk, and the quick if lifeless steering means it can be satisfyingly hustled along. The calibration of the throttle and brake pedals is excellent, as is the well-judged level of dialled-in regenerative braking in one-pedal ‘B’ driving mode. The interior swallows mounds of shopping with ease, and as long as you don’t look too closely at some of the plastics, the cabin has an appealing style.
Only three negatives so far, but all quite serious. The ride quality is inexplicably and horribly firm. A corollary of this rigidity is that some of the trim has already been shaken loose – I lowered the sun visor yesterday and the vanity light dropped out. And the driving position is inexplicably high. For anyone over five and half feet it will feel like sitting on one of those chairs used by lifeguards.
On my current tari the Zoe should cost me just 3.1p per mile