Renault Zoe

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Renault Zoe
Geneva MotorShow 2013 - Renault Zoe.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Renault
Production 2012–present
Assembly Flins, France
Body and chassis
Class Supermini (B)
Body style 5-door hatchback
Powertrain
Electric motor 65 kW (88 PS; 87 bhp)
220 N·m (162 lb·ft)[1]
Battery 22 kW·h lithium ion battery
Range 210 km (130 mi) (NEDC)[2]
(2012–June 2015)
240 km (150 mi) (NEDC)[3]
June 2015–present
Plug-in charging max 43 kW[4] on IEC Type 2 (including 3ϕ 63A 400V)
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,588 mm (101.9 in)
Length 4,084 mm (160.8 in)
Width 1,730 mm (68.1 in)
Height 1,562 mm (61.5 in)
Kerb weight 1,468 kg (3,236 lb)

Renault Zoe is a five-door supermini electric car produced by the French manufacturer Renault. The Zoe has a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that delivers a range between 210 km (130 mi)[2] and 240 km (150 mi)[3] under the NEDC cycle.[2]

Renault had previously unveiled under the Zoe name a number of different concept cars. Initially in 2005 as the Zoe City Car and later as the Zoe Z.E. electric concept was shown in two different versions in 2009 and 2010 under the Renault Z.E. name. A production ready version of the Zoe was shown at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.[5]

Retail customer deliveries began in France in December 2012, followed in 2013 by several European countries. Since 2013 the Zoe is the all-time top selling all-electric car in the French market.[6] Global sales passed the 25,000 unit milestone in May 2015,[7] with France as the leading market with almost 15,000 units sold through May 2015, representing 57% of global sales.[6][8] Over 36,000 units have been sold worldwide up to November 2015.[9]

Concepts

Zoe City Car Concept (2005)

The Renault Zoe City Car concept (or Z17) was shown at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show[10] featuring 3 seats, the 3.45m long open top vehicle was proposed as an urban focused car.[11] This Zoe had no connection with the later electric Zoe concept to follow four years later.

Zoe Concept (2009)

The Renault Zoe Concept was shown to the public in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show to show the company's vision for a Clio sized electric car.[12] It was powered by a 95 bhp (71 kW; 96 PS) electric motor (mounted at the front) and lithium-ion batteries (under the seats). It was estimated it would have a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 90 mph (140 km/h), and could be charged at a conventional 230 V socket, or fast-charged from a high-voltage supply to 80 percent in only 20 minutes. A third innovative option was to swap the batteries for a new pack at a Renault Quickdrop centre.[13]

The design was tear-drop shaped featuring a see-through roof features solar panels which run the air-conditioning system [14] and gull-wing doors. A new climate control system was also shown, developed with L'Oréal, which could spray essential oils into the interior to cut out harmful exterior smells, or rehydrate the interior to prevent skin drying out.

Zoe Preview (2010)

The Zoe Preview, a substantially revised version of the Zoe concept, was shown to the public at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and was claimed to be a near-definitive representation (90% showroom ready) of the final version of the car. Many of the existing design features of the 2009 concept model were discarded such as the gull-wing doors.

The technical specifications had changed from the 2009 version with the power of the electric motor reduced to 79 bhp (59 kW; 80 PS), a reduced top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h), but still with a 100-mile range.[15] It was suggested that the Zoe ZE would be priced from €15,000.[16]

A planned Renault battery plant near Paris that will supply batteries for the vehicle was delayed due to technical constraints. Construction was to start in the second quarter of 2012 and production of batteries was expected to be delayed to 2014 or 2015. Instead, Renault will have to buy batteries from a joint venture between Nissan Motor and NEC, and from LG Chem of South Korea.[17]

Renault Zoe City Car 2005 
Renault Zoe Z.E. Concept 2009 
Renault Zoe Preview 2010 
Renault Zoe in Curitiba, Brazil 2014 

Production version

2012 Zoe's frontal view
2012 Zoe's rear view

The production version of the Zoe was announced in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. Similar to the 2010 version and the design credited to Jean Semeris, it is a five-door supermini at 4080 mm long, a little longer than the Renault Clio.[18] Retail customer deliveries began in limited number in France in December 2012, and Renault planned to increase availability during the first quarter of 2013. The first Zoe was delivered to Arnaud Montebourg, French Minister of Industrial Recovery.[19] In France the Zoe pricing starts at €20,700(US$27,250) before applying the existing €6,300 (US$8,300) tax incentive, plus a monthly fee for the battery. The cost of leasing the battery for 36 months starts from €79/month (US$104/month) for an annual distance travelled of 12,500 km (7,800 mi) and includes comprehensive breakdown assistance.[2]

The Zoes produced until June 2015 are powered by a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, driving a Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). synchronous electric motor[2] supplied by Continental (the Q210).[20] Maximum torque is 220 N·m (162 lb-ft) with a top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph). The NEDC cycle range is 210 km (130 mi). Renault estimates that in suburban use, the Zoe can achieve around 100 km (62 mi) in cold weather and 150 km (93 mi) in temperate conditions. The car features a charging system called "Caméléon" (Chameleon) charger that allows the Zoe to be charged at any level of power, taking between 30 minutes and nine hours.[2] The particular type of grid system in parts of Norway with a different potential for the protective ground requires a special charger, which is included with all Zoes in Norway for summer 2015.[21] In June 2015, Renault announced the introduction of a new, smaller electric motor called the R 240, manufactured at its Cléon engine plant.[20] The new motor has the same power and torque that the Q210 unit[3] with an extended NEDC cycle range of 240 km (150 mi).[3] However, the Q210 will still be available as the R 240 does not allow quick charging.[20]

Safety

The Zoe received a five-star Euro NCAP 2013-rating. The score was:

Euro NCAP test results
Renault Zoe (2013)[22]
Test Points %
Overall: 5 /5 stars
Adult occupant: 32 89%
Child occupant: 39 80%
Pedestrian: 24 66%
Safety assist: 8 85%

Sales and markets

Renault Zoe Zero Emissions (ZE) badge

Retail customer deliveries began in limited numbers in France in December 2012, and availability was increased during the first quarter of 2013.[19][23] A total of 48 units were registered in France during December 2012, and cumulative sales reached 5,559 units through December 2013.[6] The Zoe became the top selling all-electric vehicle in the country in January 2013, and kept the monthly lead through December 2013, representing 62.8% of electric car sales in the country during 2013. In addition, the Zoe became the best selling electric car in France accounting for registrations in the electric passenger car segment since 2010 through December 2013.[6]

Deliveries in the UK began in March 2013,[24] and Germany, Italy and Spain in April 2013. Cumulative global sales totaled 8,874 units through December 2013.[25] Out of 8,792 cars sold in Europe through December 2013, 62.7% were sold in France (5,511).[6][25] Germany was the second top selling market, with 1,019 units delivered through December 2013,[26] followed by the Netherlands with 547 units registered.[27]

The Renault Zoe was officially launched in the Norwegian market in April 2014, though retail deliveries began in late March. Unlike other European countries, the Zoe is sold in Norway with the battery pack included and there are no battery leasing options available.[28] A total of 11,323 Zoes were sold globally in 2014.[25] France continued as the top selling market with cumulative sales of 11,529 units, and the Zoe continued as the all-time best selling electric car in the country, with 5,970 units sold in 2014.[6] Global sales reached the 10,000 unit milestone in January 2014,[29] and the 25,000 mark in May 2015.[7] Cumulative global sales totaled 36,040 units through November 2015.[9]

Global sales and top country markets
Renault Zoe sales by top national markets
2012 - 2014
Country Cumulative
sales
Sales
2014
Sales
2013
Sales
2012
 France[6] 11,529 5.970 5,511 48
 Germany[26][30] 2,517 1,498 1,019  
 United Kingdom[31][32] 1,356 1,104 252  
 Netherlands[27][33] 799 252 547  
 Austria[34][35] 756 387 369  
  Switzerland[36] 723 381 342  
 Spain[37][38] 471 289 182  
 Norway[39] 433 433    
 Italy[40][41][42] 358 155 203  
 Denmark[43] 237 145 92  
 Sweden[44] 204 204    
 Belgium[45][46] 195 110 85  
Global sales[25] 20,265 11,323 8,874 68

Recognition

The Zoe was one of the top three finalists for the 2013 World Green Car of the Year.[47]

Criticism

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticised Renault's decision to lease the Zoe battery packs to consumers as a rental service with an alleged Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. They claim it could render the vehicle unusable if the owner ceases payment or Renault withdraws support.[48] Renault's monthly fee for the battery and its alleged use of DRM has also been strongly criticised by some technology writers.[49] However, Renault publicly denied the use of DRM technology through its official Twitter account.[50]

Name dispute

In May 2010, a Parisian woman called Zoe Renault commenced legal action to try and force Renault to re-think their choice of name amid claims it would lead to mocking jibes.[51] In November 2010, a French judge ruled that Renault could use the name.[52]

Motorsport

Renault entered three Zoes (Z.E. ZOE Team) into the 5th ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise) Montecarlo Rally held from 21 to 23 March 2014.[53] A Zoe ended first on the general classification.[54]

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. See "Ventes de voitures électriques en 2015/2014/2013/2012/2011. A total of 3,457 units were sold during the first five months of 2015."
  7. 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Includes passenger and light utility variants. Click on "Ventes mensuelles (mai 2015)" to download the files "XLSX - 187 Ko" for CYTD 2015 sales through May, and open the tab "Sales by Model". Cumulative sales worldwide totaled 26,296 units
  9. 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Accounting for global cumulative sales by December 2015, plug-in electric car sales are led by the Nissan Leaf (200,000), followed by Volt/Ampera family (104,000), and the Tesla Model S (100,000). As of November 2015, ranking next are the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV (85,000), and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid (75,000), Mitsubishi i-MiEV family (~560,000), BYD Qin (45,275), BMW i3 (38,581), Renault Zoe (36,040), and the Ford Fusion Energi (26,742). Combines sales of the top 10 PEV models represent almost 50% of cumulative global PEV sales through November 2015)
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  18. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. Dalløkken, Per Erlien. "Norsk selskap løste Renaults ladeproblem med oljeteknologi" Teknisk Ukeblad, 21 January 2015. Accessed: 22 January 2015.
  22. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Includes passenger and light utility variants. Click on "Ventes mensuelles du groupe (décembre 2011) (xls, 183 Ko)" "Ventes mensuelles (décembre 2012) (xls, 289 Ko)" - Ventes mensuelles (décembre 2013) (xlsx, 227 Ko)" - "Ventes mensuelles (décembre 2014) (xls, 220 Ko)" to download the files for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 sales, and open the tab "Sales by Model".
  26. 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Download pdf file for detailed sales in 2013 ("Download nieuwverkoop personenautos 201312").
  28. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A total of 1,498 units were registered in Germany in 2014.
  31. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A total of 1,356 Zoes were registered in the UK since 2013 through December 2014, and 1,621 at the end of March 2015.
  32. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. See data for "Jän - Dez 2013" and "Jän - Dez 2012"
  35. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Under "Modellstatistiken 2009–2014" click "2014 Statistik" to download the xls file "ModellePW2014" for 2014 sales, and click "2013 Statistik" to download the file "ModellePW2013" with sales by model for 2013.
  37. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Download the file "DossierAutomóviles_diciembre13.xls (929KB)" with current month and cumulative sales for 2013.
  38. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Download the file "DossierAutomóviles_diciembre14.xls (929KB)*" with current month and cumulative sales during 2014.
  39. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. See graph: Gjennomsnittlig CO2-utslipp for registrerte ney personbiler per modell 2014, til og med desember. A total of 433 new Renault Zoes were registered in Norway in 2014.
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  42. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select "2014 - Hele året" and "2013 - Hele året" for the corresponding year and click on "Pr. model" for details of sales by brand and model.
  44. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Download file "Nyregistreringar december 2014 (prel)" see table "Nyregistrerade supermiljöbilar december 2014" with summary of plug-in passenger car registrations by model for 2014.
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  49. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131108/09350825182/renault-introduces-drm-cars.shtml
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External links