You think of Tesla when you think about electric car pioneers. Or also to Nissan, whose Leaf consistently tops the top 10 sales figures for electric cars in Europe. And yet, both of them have a bit of a problem when it comes to everyday life. One way too expensive for “normal consumers” and the other, well, a little too – let's put it this way – avant-garde in design. However, a completely different pioneer is often forgotten. “The little ZOE” from Renault. Renault has quietly and secretly become the range king. With the current battery update, 400 kilometers (standard cycle) are now on the plus side. All sorts of things for a city car. We were traveling with the French woman in Portugal.

Ultimate entry into the e-car world: the Renault ZOE with 41 kWh battery

Used, with daily registration or discounted and new?

Zoe, who is now four years old, is not even that small. Cute would be the right word. But at just over four meters, the Zoe is one of the “compact” ones on the market. A Volkswagen Polo would be a comparable benchmark. With the new battery pack, Renault's ZOE has now reached a milestone that stands out. 41 kWh in the battery pack should be good for a range of 400 kilometers in the standard cycle. Renault says that 300 km should now be normal in everyday life. 300 km on one battery charge. For a city car whose average daily commute rarely exceeds 40 kilometers, a value with an exclamation point!

With the new ZOE 40 there are no more excuses! Fear of range and acquisition costs as counter-arguments have been successfully eliminated by Renault!

Experience speaks for the little French

100.000 electric vehicles sold Renault. Of these, 50.000 are Renault ZOEs. Of all things, a compact car from France is doing massive pioneering work. Anyone who looks at the ZOE and test drives it will understand why. It's exactly the amount of car you need. Like a Renault 4 back then. You don't need anything else. Two hundredweight of potatoes in the trunk, space for mothers-in-law and neighbors and a solid chassis with comfortable suspension travel. Only completely without “hum” and with the advantage of “zero emissions”. The ZOE was previously a good offer - with the new battery, a range pioneer is now becoming a great offer. 400 km on paper. 300 kilometers in everyday life. And even with a portion of the motorway, more than 270 kilometers are still possible.

Overview of charging technology

The Chameleon charger charges the battery cells from LG with christened onboard chargers with up to 22 kW. Previous ZOE drivers will be taken aback. A bigger battery, but less charging power? Renault speaks of an efficiency gain. Less charge loss and easy compatibility with all Type2 chargers. 400 volt AC chargers now pump the larger batteries in just under 1: 45 to 80% power. That should be quick enough. Will Renault soon be hooked on the CCS system? It is not improbable. But the charging station for 50 kW charging is still rather manageable and the ZOE is a city car anyway.

Urban legends

In the past, cars of this size, 4 meters in total length, were not yet city cars. Today they will be closed. The ZOE can also do the other disciplines. We completed the first test drives on country roads and highways in Portugal and could not see any shortcomings. On the contrary. The comfortably damped ZOE also completes country roads with nasty asphalt surfaces in a particularly relaxed manner. Sometimes the French woman swings too often, despite the long wheelbase (2,59 meter), steers sufficiently directly, albeit too stiffly, around the middle position, and on the whole plays the nerve saver. The steering works with variable support. In the city smoother than at high speeds. Possibly coordination potential remains here. Because despite the wide track, the steering behavior is too synthetic.

This is how the French electrician drives

The ZOE's electric motor produces 92 hp - or 68 kW, correctly. The batteries were stowed flat in the underbody. The 400-volt cells come from LG Chem. Renault continues to offer the 41 kWh variant as well as the 22 kWh variant. Both battery packs consist of 12 modules of 16 cells each. However, the energy density of the new battery has almost doubled from 76 Wh / kg to 134 Wh / kg. The weight of the battery pack jumped from 290 kg to 305 kg.

Electric cars have a weight problem. System-related. The “little ZOE” also weighs just over 1.500 kilograms. Nevertheless, the Frenchwoman completed the traffic light sprint from 0 to 50 km/h in an entertaining 4.1 seconds. The electric motor provides 220 Nm of torque. And that almost from the first revolutions. No clutching, no shifting. As if pulled on a rubber band, an electric car zooms through the hustle and bustle of traffic. Always quiet, always comfortable. The brake initially responds to the pedal with an increased recuperation performance of the electric motor and only when there is a desire to decelerate even more are the disc brakes used and, according to the old custom, heat is converted from movement again. In everyday life, however, the ZOE can be easily braked thanks to its ability to recuperate up to 65 kW of electrical power.

We didn't spare the ZOE on the first day. Used up to 135 km / h (electrically sealed) on the highway in Portugal. Some curves are taken faster than you would have to and the power consumption is not spared. Nevertheless, more than 230 kilometers are always feasible. In the city, 300 km are realistic and the NEDC standard consumption, well, just a brochure size anyway.

For whom the “new ZOE” is the right choice:

Anyone who has always had an excuse why they can't use the electric car in a city car. There are no excuses here!

One should consider that!

In addition to the previously established rental model, the batteries can now also be purchased. The previously 21 kWh battery remains on offer and the ZOE's starting price, without subsidies, is €22.100, plus the battery rental. This rent again depends on the annual mileage and is between €59 and €119 per month. The ZOE with a 41 kWh battery starts at €24.900. If you are interested in the highest equipment and a “purchased” battery, you will put €37.400 on the table!

And owners of one of the first ZOE models also offer a battery upgrade. For 3.000 €, owners receive the new battery pack.

DATA Renault ZOE 40

Price: from 24.900 € plus battery rental (from 59 € / month)
Drive petrol engine: BEV - battery electric vehicle
Electric drive:  68 HP continuous output / 92 HP maximum output - 250 Nm
dimensions: 5 seats, L / W / H 4085, 1730, 1562 mm, weight 1520 kg, case no. 338 l,
Performance: 0-100 km / h 13,2 sec, top 135 km / h, standard consumption / CO2 13,3 kWh / 100 km