Pace notes

World’s best-selling EV sheds oddball quirks, boosts mainstream appeal

The I-pace’s 90kwh lithium-ion battery pack containing 432 pouch cells is sited centrally between the driven axles, requiring 40 minutes for an 80 percent charge using a rare, rapid 100kw DC charger; investing a few thousand dollars more in a 7kw AC wallbox stretches that to about 10 hours, or 20 plugged into a regular 10A socket. Additionally, on top of the (disappointing) regular three-year/100,000km warranty, the batteries come with eightyears/160,000km of cover.

TOUTED as the world’s first mass-market EV, in Australia the original ZE0 Leaf suffered the growing pains it had to have.

Injured by the oddball design, starship dash and dull dynamics, it was high pricing (initially $51,500) and low range (about 115km realistically) that dealt the fatal blow, resulting in just 635 sales in the four years from 2012, against over 250,000 globally.

In contrast, the ZE1 Leaf II out in June is the result of hard lessons learned, with stronger performance, a 16kwh-larger battery that doubles real-world range to 270km, and a slightly larger, longer, wider and lower body on offer. Progress – though some of the old Leaf’s friendly/dorky flair has been exorcised in the process. Note the doors and bonnet are no longer aluminium, but steel.

Nowadays, the dash is as simple as the previous one was sophisticated. It’s now ho-hum conventional, down to an analogue speedo and wheel nicked from the Qashqai (that it’s built alongside in Britain). There’s still no column reach adjustment, annoyingly, we miss the old car’s eyelevel digital speedo, and the electric park brake gives way to a foot-operated relic. Boo!

At least Leaf’s now quieter. DAB+ digital radio and Carplay/auto debut. And cargo capacity grows to a family-friendly 435L (though battery packaging means a flat boot floor remains elusive). Carry-over toggle auto lever aside, there’s precisely zero alienev weirdness inside.

Plenty of EV poke though. Performance livens up considerably, with hasty off-the-line dispatch and seamless overtaking yours to enjoy; the steering finally feels connected, with newfound feel and responsiveness; and while there’s an underlying chassis tautness that brings fresh dynamic nimbleness, the firmer-ride trade-off is perfectly acceptable. Enthusiasts no longer need ignore.

The fresh ‘e-pedal’ regenerative braking system offers off-throttle braking, providing 0.2G of retardation, adding range and assisting in smoother driving – especially as brake pedal feel is still a bit snatchy. Furthermore, newly standard AEB, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise and surround-view monitor should help cement the Leaf’s mainstream aspirations.

Finally, just as before, charging via a regular three-pin socket could take up to 24 hours, but a circa-$3k-installed wallbox slashes that by almost two-thirds. Additionally, improved battery cooling means owners will be encouraged to seek out DC fast-charge outlets for 80 percent of capacity in about 40 minutes. And now bi-directional charging can provide electricity back to your house or grid.

Only Nissan offers a second-gen EV when most rivals still struggle to muster their first; that the ZE1 has matured into a more mainstream-focused proposition might finally see the Leaf flourish in Australia. But the price must be right.

WELCOME to Australia’s oldest yet cutest electric vehicle, as well as Europe’s EV bestseller, the Renault Zoe.

Launched in 2012, and based on the, ahem, current Clio IV supermini, the electric Frenchie five-seater city hatch has been systematically improved since then, so don’t worry; you’ll still manage an easy 200km-plus range, even when driven with gay abandon.

Have no doubt. That’s precisely how things could end up, given those Clio underpinnings and a low centre of gravity provide such a solid and enjoyable dynamic base. Quick, responsive steering, nippy handling, excellent grip and an isolating ride make the Zoe more than just the keen driver’s choice.

With an instantaneous 68kw and 220Nm on tap, the ZE40 (denoting the larger 41kwh battery pack) is also sprightly off the mark in that typical, dodgem-car EV way; there’s also a fairly hefty shove if you mash the throttle out on the open road, though watching your available remaining charge tumble as a consequence isn’t as much fun. We’d love to see even stronger regenerative braking resistance for single-pedal driving, though the anchors aren’t as touchy as some, thankfully.

For a four-metre city car, the Zoe’s pleasingly accommodating, with supportive front seats, sufficient space and comfort out back, and a reasonably sized boot at 338 litres (though note there’s no spare – just a tyre-inflation kit). There’s also a decent wedge of kit, including a reverse camera, sat-nav, Ev-specific climate control (to minimise consumption), keyless entry/start, up-spec audio and DAB+ digital radio.

But then you digest the $50K (before on-roads) pricing and realise that the dated dash, hard plastics and missing kit like Apple Carplay and Android Auto would be an embarrassment in a $25K Clio; dig deeper and AEB and other active driver-assist tech isn’t even available; and why aren’t Renault’s EVS subject to a five-year warranty, instead relegated to just three years’ cover?

However, value-for-money concerns would soon be eclipsed by the almost total unavailability of fastcharging infrastructure for the plucky Zoe. That’s because it uses an AC rather than the DC system of more modern EVS, which means that while it’s fine to replenish those batteries from a regular 10A 240V household plug (albeit slowly, at over 20 hours!), that’s your lot. The ZE40 is essentially limited to city and ’burbs.

That’s a shame, but then the Renault is getting on for seven years old, and as its diminutive proportions clearly imply, this is an urban commuter EV; the company’s demographic profiling reveals that most owners own two vehicles and drive no more than 40km daily.

If that sounds like you, and you dig its unique, youthful, playful chic, then Zoe may be the one.