The new Renault Zoe E-Tech is a great combination of low price and high range
Quick Stats
- Vehicle type: 100% electric
- Number of seats: 5 seats
- Body shape: Hatchback
- Official WLTP range: from 223 to 239 miles
- Average range: from 183 to 196 miles
- Maximum Rapid DC charging rate: 50 kW
- Price: from £29,995 to £31,995
Overview
The Renault Zoe E-Tech is the latest version of this ever-popular electric car. It’s been on UK roads for ages and is now a common sight.
The Zoe continues to stand out: it’s small, nippy, fun to drive, and easy to handle.
It can fit 5 people – despite its diminutive size – and even has 5 doors (those rear handles are cleverly disguised).
Not sure about electric motoring? Get a second-hand Zoe, or lease a new one, and find out what it’s all about – you won’t regret it.
Our quick-fire review below analyses key EV facts and figures for the Zoe E-Tech, such as battery range, charging times and costs, top speed, acceleration, dimensions, efficiency v. petrol/diesel, and much more.
Trim / Variant | Price | Drivetrain |
Techno R135 | £29,995 | Front-wheel-drive |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | £31,995 | Front-wheel-drive |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | £31,995 | Front-wheel-drive |
Batteries & Range
How far can you drive on a full charge of the battery in the Renault Zoe? In ideal conditions, you should be able to achieve the official ‘WLTP’ range in miles. However in winter, for example, electric car batteries don’t perform as well, and actual range will be lower.
This table shows both the more optimistic WLTP range, and a rough, more likely ‘average’ range for the various versions of the Zoe:
Trim / Variant | Battery (useable) | Average Range | WLTP Range |
Techno R135 | 52 kWh | 196 miles | 239 miles |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 52 kWh | 196 miles | 239 miles |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 52 kWh | 183 miles | 223 miles |
Efficiency
We are all used to ‘miles per gallon’ of petrol or diesel when thinking about efficiency in traditional cars. With EVs, you need to replace ‘gallon’ with ‘kWh’. 1 kWh = 1 unit of electricity. So the ‘miles per kWh’ measure tells you how many miles you can go on 1 kWh of electricity – the higher the number the better.
Here’s data for the Renault Zoe, together with an equivalent in miles per gallon (yes, electric cars really are that efficient!):
Trim / Variant | Efficiency (electric) | Efficiency ('MPG') |
Techno R135 | 3.77 miles per kWh | 151 miles per gallon |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 3.77 miles per kWh | 151 miles per gallon |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 3.52 miles per kWh | 141 miles per gallon |
Charging Times & Costs
If you have off-street parking, the best and cheapest place to charge your Renault Zoe is at home. Depending on your home energy tariff, you’ll either charge at a standard flat rate or at a lower off-peak rate. The 0-100% charge times below are a ‘worst case’ scenario – typically you will charge 1-2 hours a day, or maybe go for a longer charge on just a couple of days a week.
Charging at Home on an Off-peak rate of 10p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
Techno R135 | 7 hours 2 minutes | 2.7p |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 7 hours 2 minutes | 2.7p |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 7 hours 2 minutes | 2.8p |
Charging at Home on a Peak rate of 34p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
Techno R135 | 7 hours 2 minutes | 9.0p |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 7 hours 2 minutes | 9.0p |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 7 hours 2 minutes | 9.7p |
When you’re on a trip, you can get a quick boost at a rapid charger. These vary in terms of charging speed and you are also limited by the Zoe’s maximum charging rate. Take the 10-80% charging times with a pinch of salt – the charging rate will gradually decrease and times are often longer.
Charging in Public at a 50 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 50p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
Techno R135 | 0 kW | 00 minutes | 13.3p |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 50 kW | 44 minutes | 13.3p |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 50 kW | 44 minutes | 14.2p |
Charging in Public at a 150 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 60p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
Techno R135 | 0 kW | 00 minutes | 15.9p |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 50 kW | 44 minutes | 15.9p |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 50 kW | 44 minutes | 17.1p |
Charging in Public at a 350 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 70p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
Techno R135 | 0 kW | - | 18.6p |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 50 kW | 44 minutes | 18.6p |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 50 kW | 44 minutes | 19.9p |
Performance
The Renault Zoe, like all pure electric cars, has its wheels turned by one or more electric motors. The motors themselves are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Battery + electric motor is a great combination, giving you instant torque with no gears to change.
You’ll find the Zoe eerily quiet after an internal combustion engine. Here are the performance stats:
Trim / Variant | Top Speed | 0-62 mph |
Techno R135 | 87 mph | 9.5 seconds |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 87 mph | 9.5 seconds |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 87 mph | 9.5 seconds |
Boot Space & Cargo Volume
Trim / Variant | Boot Space | Cargo Volume (seats down) |
Techno R135 | 338 litres | 1,225 litres |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 338 litres | 1,225 litres |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 338 litres | 1,225 litres |
Dimensions
Trim / Variant | Length | Width | Height |
Techno R135 | 4087 mm | 1787 mm | 1562 mm |
Techno R135 Boost Charge | 4087 mm | 1787 mm | 1562 mm |
Iconic R135 Boost Charge | 4087 mm | 1787 mm | 1562 mm |
Next Steps
We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief analysis of the Renault Zoe. We’ve tried to focus mainly on potentially unfamiliar electric car related items – such as batteries, range and charging – rather than trot out the usual “The car’s B-pillar is 3mm wider than the previous model.”
Where to next?
- Narrow down your EV search in a systematic way using our EV Car Selector tool
- Read more about the Zoe at Renault’s UK website
- If you’re ready to go, consider leasing the Renault Zoe from a low-cost broker