Ben Holmes drives a Renault Zoe Business+ 50kWh 2021.
This is Ben’s second electric vehicle, he’s owned the Renault Zoe Business less than 1 year and drives 10,000-15,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 10,000-20,000 miles and he achieves 200 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose a Renault Zoe?
We needed a second vehicle for our business, an EV was a must. It also needed to have a good range and load capacity wasn’t that important. The Zoe van fitted the bill and was much less ‘van like’ than the alternatives.
Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
- A decent range
- looks like a car on the outside and feels like one on the inside
- cost effective to purchase.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really donāt like about this electric car
- Blind spots – as the rear windows are totally blacked out to make it a van the blind spots are terrible. Van-style mirrors would solve that problem or sensors as standard.
- The mesh bulkhead is great for security and rearward vision but with a 1.2m load length it could do with a loading hatch for lengths of timber etc.
- Interior niggles – the volume controls are on a stalk behind the steering wheel when they could be on the steering wheel and I’m not convinced that you need a ‘gearstick’ in the central console of an EV. Also there’s no central armrest so I bought an aftermarket one, which takes up one cup holder and blocks the other one…
Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?
We bought it second-hand with 17k miles clocked up by the previous owner in 2.5 years. The full range was showing 200 miles when we bought it from the dealer. This has dropped but I’m putting that down to the cold weather reducing the range. We haven’t had to fast charge yet, we just charge at home.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
No faults so far š¤
What are the standout technological features of the car?
So I have to confess we also have a Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor which is full of great technological features (as well as some really duff ones like the light show) so the Zoe is a touch old school in comparison and lacks the same level of tech. That aside it’s got Android Auto and cruise control, auto lights and wipers so it’s got most things that most people need, but it would be perfect if it had adaptive cruise control like the Tesla. The app is OK, although it could be more effective as you can’t set a charge limit and the timed charge doesn’t always work…
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
It’s a van! On the outside it looks just like any other Zoe and it drives just like a car but with the back seats removed and a bulkhead added you have a small van that’s great for carrying all the tools and kit that we need for work and it doesn’t feel like a van to sit in or drive.
What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?
The usual scepticism about range from ICE drivers. We travelled to France in the Tesla twice from North East England without any issues thanks to the car’s range and the Tesla charging network. The Zoe can do a full tour of the region on one charge so is ideal for day-to-day work.
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
We don’t need any more cars!
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elementsĀ
Project EV – getting the app to work, even connect to the charger was like rocket science and we had to contact Project EV to reset the account so we just use it as a dumb charger.
Electricity supplier & tariff – outline both positive & negative elementsĀ
We have an Octopus off-peak EV tariff which saves us loads on charging overnight and we also make sure we programme the washing machine and dishwasher to run at the same time!
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
We use Tesla for the Model 3 but also InstaVolt (at Booths in Windermere and Keswick as we spend time in the Lake District). We have a Fastned close to home in Sunderland which is great. Anything that doesn’t need an account or an app gets my vote, whatever the network.
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
Direct Line – we have no opinion on our insurers, we may have an opinion if we need to make a claim!
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running an electric car
Buying a van through the business allows us to save on VAT. It’s clearly costing us less to power up the EV compared to our previous ICE vehicles but the insurance is higher.
See other Renault Zoe Owner Reviews here
