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Renault Zoe Will Be Reborn As Amazing Renault 5 EV
After more than a decade blazing a trail for EVs the Renault Zoe finally prepares to take its bow
Words by: Auto Trader
Published on 20 October 2023 | 0 min read
Renault is about to call time on the Zoe EV, more than a decade after it first arrived. In car years, that makes it a centenarian; car models usually last about seven years before they’re retired. But the Zoe has lasted so long because, even though a 2023 Zoe looks basically the same as a 2012 one from the outside, it’s essentially a different car. An automotive Trigger’s broom, if you like.
The 2012 Zoe had 90 horsepower, a real-world battery range well below 100 miles, and an infotainment system that looked a bit like a drawing of Heisenburg chewing a cigar. See below. And squint a bit.
The 2012 Zoe had 90 horsepower, a real-world battery range well below 100 miles, and an infotainment system that looked a bit like a drawing of Heisenburg chewing a cigar. See below. And squint a bit.
But much like Walter White, the Zoe hit its peak and became a force to be reckoned with just before dying. Today’s Renault Zoe has more power, can comfortably top 200 miles on a single charge, has a modern and high-quality interior, and is therefore one of the best small EVs on the market.
The ‘Trigger’s Broom’ approach of consistent improvement – bigger battery, better infotainment, improved cabin materials – has kept it well-priced, too. It was cheaper for Renault to improve what it had than to develop a new car from scratch. Therefore, a brand new, 2023 model Zoe can set you back less than £30,000. And it feels every bit as modern as, say, a Vauxhall Corsa Electric It's a massive success story, too. It was the best-selling EV in Europe in 2020, and is overall one of the biggest-selling EVs of all time, only eclipsed by the Nissan Leaf and a couple of Teslas. But the time has come, sadly, for it to go. The good news, however, is that it’ll be replaced by a car that looks like it might become the coolest small EV ever made: the Renault 5 Electric. The original Renault 5 was, you might remember, a small car that across two generations from 1972 – both of which lasted around 12 years, aptly enough – became an iconic runabout. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, full of French personality. The Turbo version, built so that Renault could go rallying with it, remains one of the most unhinged small cars ever made.
The ‘Trigger’s Broom’ approach of consistent improvement – bigger battery, better infotainment, improved cabin materials – has kept it well-priced, too. It was cheaper for Renault to improve what it had than to develop a new car from scratch. Therefore, a brand new, 2023 model Zoe can set you back less than £30,000. And it feels every bit as modern as, say, a Vauxhall Corsa Electric It's a massive success story, too. It was the best-selling EV in Europe in 2020, and is overall one of the biggest-selling EVs of all time, only eclipsed by the Nissan Leaf and a couple of Teslas. But the time has come, sadly, for it to go. The good news, however, is that it’ll be replaced by a car that looks like it might become the coolest small EV ever made: the Renault 5 Electric. The original Renault 5 was, you might remember, a small car that across two generations from 1972 – both of which lasted around 12 years, aptly enough – became an iconic runabout. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, full of French personality. The Turbo version, built so that Renault could go rallying with it, remains one of the most unhinged small cars ever made.
The Renault 5 EV won’t be unhinged. Far from it. It’s coming at the start of 2024 and we’ll see the production version before 2023 is done, but we already know what Renault is aiming for, and basically what it’ll look like; Renault has revealed the 5 Concept and has shown us a few ‘disguised’ near-production prototypes. It’ll look ace, but underneath be a very sensible – and sensibly priced – small electric runabout.
Renault is aiming for a sub-£20,000 starting price point, which will make it the cheapest new EV on sale, a third cheaper than a Zoe. That one will have a smaller battery though, with around 150 miles of range – the same sort of thing that Fiat does with the 500e. A bigger-batteried version will do closer to 250 miles, but will cost around £25,000. Possibly more. It’s built on a new EV-specific platform that will give it clever features like vehicle-to-grid tech, which means it’ll be able to feed electricity back into your home, or to other EVs. It’ll charge at rapid speed too, up to 150kW. Basically, the sort of technology that you generally find in EVs costing twice as much. We can’t wait to see the production version, and to drive it. In the meantime, check out our review of the Renault Zoe here.
Renault is aiming for a sub-£20,000 starting price point, which will make it the cheapest new EV on sale, a third cheaper than a Zoe. That one will have a smaller battery though, with around 150 miles of range – the same sort of thing that Fiat does with the 500e. A bigger-batteried version will do closer to 250 miles, but will cost around £25,000. Possibly more. It’s built on a new EV-specific platform that will give it clever features like vehicle-to-grid tech, which means it’ll be able to feed electricity back into your home, or to other EVs. It’ll charge at rapid speed too, up to 150kW. Basically, the sort of technology that you generally find in EVs costing twice as much. We can’t wait to see the production version, and to drive it. In the meantime, check out our review of the Renault Zoe here.
I Owned A Zoe | Catherine King | Auto Trader Senior Data Analyst
“When I first bought my Renault ZOE I intended to use it solely for my commute to keep the miles off my MX-5. I soon found myself zipping around on weekends, travelling much further from home than I expected and enjoying how easy it was to drive. It felt like a real revelation, the acceleration from a standing start was impressive and the regenerative braking felt like magic. The best bit was it showed that electric motoring could fit into everyday life, and I knew that this was just the beginning. Although my lifestyle changed and I had to say goodbye to my ZOE a while ago, I am sad that Renault has decided to drop the model but look forward to seeing what is coming next.”
Click here to see Catherine's video about why she chose a ZOE.
Click here to see Catherine's video about why she chose a ZOE.