2017 Renault ZOE Shocks World, Hits 400 Kilometers (250 Miles) Of Range! … Er, 300 Kilometers (185 Miles)

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Update: Soon after publishing, I added more details on pricing, battery pricing, and comparisons to other coming models.

Renault has apparently swooped in and beaten the long-hyped Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3 to market with a long-range, affordable electric car. Keeping that a secret must have taken some serious discipline!

Granted, it isn’t a straight comparison, but it’s still a notable step forward by Renault.

new-renault-zoe-long-range

The new Renault ZOE, which can be ordered starting October 1, has an NEDC-rated range of 400 kilometers (~250 miles). The NEDC system is much more lenient than the EPA rating system, so this doesn’t mean the ZOE actually competes with the Chevy Bolt’s 238 miles of EPA-rated range or the Tesla Model 3’s eventual range (which is supposed to be no lower than 215 miles), but it still makes the new ZOE the first long-range all-electric car with an affordable price tag, which is a hefty accomplishment!

Carlos Ghosn must be smiling right now.


 

The “real-world” range of the new ZOE is 300 km (186 miles), according to Renault — it’s quite nice that Renault actually provided such a number, especially when the NEDC rating system is so inadequate and also quite variable (there’s no straight conversion to the EPA or a real-world rating).

As you may have noticed, Renault doesn’t roll the dice in the United States, which means that the Bolt is still presumably going to be the first long-range all-electric car with an affordable price tag on the US market.

Customers who make it to the Paris Motor Show, where the new Renault ZOE and a new all-electric concept car are being unveiled, can actually order the new ZOE right there.

Naturally, despite having similar range and pricing to the Chevy Bolt (Opel Ampera-e) and Tesla Model 3, there are many differences as well. The Model 3 still looks leagues ahead of any of the others in terms of styling, performance, and tech, but the Bolt has a couple of advantages of its own (the rear-view mirror looks sweet and the hatchback design will make many people happy), but the ZOE is a car I enjoyed very much when I drove it, and I’ve heard from many happy ZOE owners/lessees.

Renault ZOE Pricing (Get Your Thinking Caps On)

Pricing isn’t a simple affair either. The car has a variety of trims/prices, but the battery is leased.

Pricing (not including government subsidies or the cost of battery rental) for all of these models is as follows:

VERSION RETAIL PRICE INCL VAT (€) *
Life Range 2017 €23,600
Life Range 2017 Quick Charge €24,100
Zen Range 2017 €24,800
Zen Range 2017 Quick Charge €25,300
Intens Range 2017 €25,600
Intens Range 2017 Quick Charge €26,100
SL EDITION ONE €28,000
SL EDITION ONE Quick Charge €28,500

Battery leasing options are as follows:

“Flex Z.E. 40” offer, 7,500 km included (additional mileage: €0.05 per km) No minimum commitment period

Starting at €69 / month

“Relax”, unlimited km offer (reserved for private individuals) No minimum commitment period

Starting at €119 / month

You can lease the battery and the car together starting at €149/month.

New Colors & Special Edition

The new ZOE also comes in two new colors (“Intense Red” and “Titanium Grey”), with the long-range ZOE being dubbed the INTENS ZOE.

Here are some more details about the new model from Renault:

Renault is using the ZOE ZE 40 launch to unveil a simplified battery hire price plan with no minimum commitment. It includes a “Flex ZE 40” package that is adjusted to your mileage, and the “Relax” package with unlimited mileage, for private customers only. With this clarified pricing, customers will be able to better plan their expenditure and manage their budget for their electric car.

For the launch of the new ZE 40 battery, this dual price plan comes with a promotional special offer including:

  • Vehicle + battery rental (5,000 km/yr)
  • Contribution to charging socket + installation up to €500
  • 2 charging cables (flexi-charger for domestic sockets and a cable for Wall-boxes and public recharge points).

The INTENS model now comes with electric fold-away wing mirrors and new 16” two-tone aluminium wheel rims. Its interior has been given an elegant makeover with a harmonious black colour scheme for the upholstery and various passenger compartment components. A new blue interior colour pack is available for this model, combining elegance and colour.

There’s also a special-edition ZOE, the “Edition One.” Here are some details on this limited-production ZOE:

Based on the Intens model, the Série Limitée Edition One stands out thanks to its premium leather upholstery, heated front seats, and the Bose® audio system. It comes with a unique and exclusive paint-job in Yttrium Grey.

ZOE Edition One boasts an elegant interior:

  • Luxury leather upholstery, with a soft, natural appearance
  • Elegantly designed seats with cushioned backrest and topstitching
  • New shiny metallic Smoky Grey steering wheel decoration
  • Velvet protective carpets in front and back
  • Badges on flanks and threshold of front door with “Edition One” stamp

With no engine noise or vibrations, the ZOE’s passenger compartment offers a particularly silent ride, and is the perfect setting for enjoying the Bose® sound system with its 4 high-performance speakers, 2 tweeter speakers, and subwoofer.

The Série Limitée Edition One also emphasises warmth and comfort.

  • Heated front seats with three temperature settings for immediate warmth
  • Driver’s seat with manually adjustable lumbar support to suit all body types

Renault still offers lower-range ZOEs — for a lower price, of course. These are dubbed the LIFE and ZEN (LIFE+). The INTENS, by the way, us also referred to as the ZEN+.

More Tidbits

Pedro Lima of PushEVs notes some more interesting tidbits from a Dutch press release that was published and then removed, as well as his own expectations and surprises:

The new Renault Zoe will have a 400 km NEDC range, but it won’t be called R400 as I expected. Renault decided to have two different names. The Zoe R90 (Range version) doesn’t quick charge capability, while the Zoe Q90 (Quick) does. The R90 versions with the 41 kWh battery have a 400 km NEDC range, while the Q90 versions with the same battery only have 370 km NEDC.

I still don’t know why the 90 figure is in the name, maybe it’s because of the 88 horsepower?!

Note: Pedro shared prices for the ZOE with battery included — approximately €8,000 more for each model if you buy the battery — but such an option is not in the initial press release from Renault and the press release he referenced is not long online.

What are your thoughts on this stunning announcement from Renault?


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Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

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