Jos drives a Renault Zoe 41kWh 2017.
This is Jos’s first electric car, he’s owned the Renault Zoe 2-3 years and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 30,000-40,000 miles and he achieves 150 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose the Renault Zoe?
It was the oldest and cheapest second hand car that could do more than a basic range. The older Zoes, i3s and LEAFs were too limited & anything newer was too expensive. The Zoe ZE40 was the only affordable option and no regrets either!
Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
- It’s nippy off the lights but can still cruise at 80+mph when I ‘have’ too
- great boot and carrying capacity – 475kg and back seats can come out too
- comfy front and back seats.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car
- Only 22kW AC charging so on long trips it means long lunches
- sat nav and voice instructions poor so I use my phone
- there is no number 3.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
- Lower ball joints wear early, one under warranty & one changed by local garage
- Motor sensor failure – Renault extended warranty replaced the whole motor, was that necessary? Yes according to Renault but it may have been repairable. However, it would have cost few thousand £s and now I have a new motor courtesy of Renault. It’s fine now and does seem to be a rare problem.
What are the standout technological features of the car?
Not much, it’s deliberately simple. The sat nav isn’t online so useless. For music lovers you can get a Bose option. The reversing camera is useful, regen braking is good but nothing really stands out. The next gen Zoe is great though but lots of tech to go wrong. I’m so happy mine’s simple!
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
The van version is the same spec but with a stated payload of 475kg. I’ve had 300kg worth of gravel bags in mine and the suspension didn’t budge so I’d be happy to go to the 475kg of the van version. Also, this Zoe model has achieved 400km+ in 20kmph hypermiling testing so double its usual range so driving in town or on hard country lanes can give great efficiency.
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What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
This one for awhile and then maybe the next gen Zoe or a Renault 5.
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements
evec VEC01 – simple, cheap & easy to set up and for an electrician to install. Easy to use a a ‘plug and go’ if the wi-fi is down unlike some others.
Electricity supplier & tariff – outline both positive & negative elements
Octopus Go – all good, 4hrs cheap charging, easy to schedule and if I get a bigger battery with a newer car then intelligent Octopus gives 6hrs overnight!
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
Whatever is handy, I’m just grateful when they’re free when I need them. I charge early when in public & I don’t queue, I move on.
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
Direct Line – same as previous petrol car . LV= wanted double so it really is worth shopping around.
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a Renault Zoe
- Save £30 a month road tax
- save £100 year on service costs
- save £120 a month on petrol vs electricity
But the capital cost for the Zoe was £2k a year vs £1-2k for previous ICE car so it ends up even moving from a 15yr old petrol car to a 4 yr old EV.
See other Renault Zoe Owner Reviews here
