Renault launches ‘cheap’ Zoe electric car

Renault has unveiled a production version of the Zoe electric car that will sell for £18,650 – or just £13,650 after the Government’s Plug-in Car grant has been taken into account – when it goes on sale in Britain. By contrast, the Nissan Leaf costs £25,990 before any grants are taken into account.

Prospective buyers will worry about the car’s range, but Renault is being upfront about performance in this area. The car’s specification states a maximum range of over 130 miles, but the car maker admits that this could drop to as few as 62 miles in cold weather city driving.

The new electric Zoe may cost the same as diesel-powered counterparts, but owners will have to hire the car’s battery for £70 a month and pay an additional £2,700 if they want to buy a fast charger.

CO2 figures for the Zoe are quoted as 62g/km based on average values for the national grids across Europe. In France, where a good proportion of electricity is nuclear, the figure drops to 12g/km. Charging the car with electricity from a sustainable source would reduce the figure further still.