Renault ZOE

Renault Zoe versions at a glance

From the Zoe concept to Flins

Renault first used the Zoe name on a concept in 2009. The Zoe Z.E. Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show had a 71 kW motor and an estimated 160 km of range. A year later, the Zoe Preview at the Paris Motor Show came much closer to production, with a 66 kW motor and a suggested price from €15,000.

The production Zoe was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. Assembly started at Renault's Flins plant near Paris at about 170 cars a day, and the first 48 cars reached French customers in December 2012. UK deliveries followed in March 2013. From the start, the Zoe was designed as a small, affordable electric hatchback for European towns rather than a converted petrol model. Renault's broader story is told in our history of Renault.

Batteries and range: 22, 41 and 52 kWh

The first Zoe had a 22 kWh usable battery (25.92 kWh gross) weighing about 275–280 kg. Its NEDC range was 210 km, raised to 240 km in June 2015 with the more efficient R240 motor.

The Z.E. 40, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 2016, nearly doubled capacity to 41 kWh usable, while the pack weighed only about 25 kg more at 305 kg. NEDC range jumped to 400 km, or about 300 km on the newer WLTP cycle. That version has its own page on our site: Renault Zoe Z.E. 40.

The final Z.E. 50, announced in mid-2019 and delivered from late that year, holds 52 kWh usable and weighs 326 kg. It is rated at up to 395 km WLTP. By our calculation, that is 88 % more official range than the first car's 210 km, although the two figures come from different test cycles. Using the usable capacity, the Z.E. 50 needs about 13 kWh per 100 km on the WLTP cycle, an efficient figure for a car of this size.

Motors and performance

Renault used several motors during the Zoe's life. The first was supplied by Continental; Renault's own designs followed.

With 1,468 kg and the R135 motor, the Zoe carries about 14.7 kg per kW by our calculation, enough for brisk town driving and relaxed motorway cruising. In 2017 Renault also showed the Zoe e-Sport concept with two motors, 340 kW and 640 Nm, but it never went into production.

Charging: Chameleon AC and CCS

Early Zoes used Renault's Chameleon charger, which accepts AC power up to 43 kW through a Type 2 socket. It made the first Zoe one of the quickest-charging small electric cars on public AC posts, with times from about 30 minutes to nine hours depending on the power available. The R240 motor of 2015 gave up 43 kW AC charging in favour of better range, and was limited to 22 kW AC.

The Z.E. 50 of 2019 added an optional 50 kW DC socket using the CCS2 standard, alongside 22 kW AC charging. For used buyers this is the key difference: a Z.E. 50 with the CCS option can use motorway rapid chargers, while most earlier Zoes depend on AC posts. The cost of charging compared with petrol can be worked out with our cost of ownership calculator.

Battery leasing and prices in France

Renault sold most early Zoes without the battery, which customers rented each month. At the 2012 launch in France the car cost €20,700 before a €6,300 government bonus, plus a battery rental from €79 a month for 36 months and 12,500 km a year. The Z.E. 40 started at €23,600 before incentives, without the battery, with rental at €69 a month for up to 7,500 km a year or €119 for unlimited mileage.

Battery leasing lowered the purchase price and protected owners against battery wear: in the UK, the lease included a free replacement if capacity fell below 80 %. On the used market, though, it adds a step. Buyers should check whether a car comes with an owned battery or a lease contract that must be taken over.

Euro NCAP: from five stars to zero

The Zoe's safety ratings show how much the tests changed. In 2013 Euro NCAP gave it five stars, with 89 % for adult occupants, 80 % for children, 66 % for pedestrians and 85 % for safety assist. In 2021, retested under a much stricter protocol, it received zero stars, only the third car in the programme's history to do so.

By our calculation, the safety assist score fell by 71 percentage points, the largest drop of the four areas. It reflects the Zoe's lack of modern driver assistance systems, which the newer protocol rewards heavily, while the design itself dated back to 2012.

Zoe sales records and the end of production

The Zoe was Europe's best-selling all-electric car in 2015 and 2016, and in 2020 the best-selling plug-in car in Europe with 99,261 units. Worldwide sales rose from 11,323 in 2014 to 102,868 in 2020, by our calculation more than double the 48,269 of 2019, helped by the arrival of the Z.E. 50. France passed 100,000 registrations by June 2020. Renault renamed the car Zoe E-Tech Electric in 2021, and production ended on 30 March 2024 with 426,706 cars built.