The Renault ZOE is currently the best-selling car in Europe and now thanks to a new battery it is now offers the largest range available from a mainstream electric car. This comes after Renault recently sold its 100,000th which was also a ZOE.
Double Up
The new Z.E. 40 battery is able to offer 250 miles which is double than the standard battery and now means the ZOE will have the highest range of all mainstream electric vehicles. Don’t think you’ll be left hanging around as it takes twice as long to charge though – the new battery can gain 50 miles in around 30 minutes charging time (put the kettle on).
Like the standard battery, the new Z.E. 40 battery will be produced at Renault’s Flin plant and also has a similar charging time. Although the NEDC range is 250 miles buyers can expect real world driving of around 186 miles with the new battery – sorry to burst your bubble. The battery itself was developed with the help go LG Chem, the largest chemical company in Korea, in order to offer a battery with class-leading range in the new ZOE.
Range Anxiety Begone!
So called ‘Range Anxiety’ will be all but gone in the new ZOE thanks to the bigger battery but there are a few features to help you on the straight and narrow just in case. The R-Link navigation system is able to find the nearest charging points if needed and a smartphone app is also on hand to keep an eye on things. The app is able to keep track of information such as battery level, charging time and even the cabin temperature can be altered.
Renault has not mentioned whether the new battery is able to be retro-fitted to older ZOEs so if you do happen to own one it may be worth contacting your local garage to see whether or not this is something that is possible.
