Renault Zoe R110 Test & Review 

I picked up my Zoe R110 on 8th of November. It’s my first EV after driving a diesel Fiesta 1.4 tdci for 15 years. Loving the Zoe so much. The Zoe is bigger than my old Fiesta and the fuel saving alone is a no brainer. I purchased my Zoe through CarWow from Smith’s Renault in Peterborough. I paid £12170 cash. It’s a leased battery. Bargain I thought. No regrets. Free 7kw home charger from Chargemaster. Just waiting to get my smart meter fitted so I can save even more money on Octopus GO tariff. 5 pence per KWh for 4 hours per night. 00:30-04:30. Averaging over 4 miles per KWh. 1.25 pence per mile or less.

REALLY WISH they sold this car here in the US I would buy it in a heartbeat. I have a Honda fit and chevy spark so I am sure the size would not bother me at all!

My dad has just bought this exact model but with the reversing camera and metallic paint. He paid £18,800 which I guess would be £1000 more now after the reduction in the PICG. So not quite the £25,000 ‘sticker’ price. As others have said the indicator noise can be changed and there is also a choice of 3 pedestrian warning noises, one of which is so quiet or of the right pitch it can’t be heard in the car. (At least by me, except if the windows are open). I have the R90 battery rental version and really like it and your review is pretty fair. Thanks for such a thoughtful and sensible EV channel.

you can change the indicator noise using the button on the dash

OMG Annabelle had me cracking up. She sounded like a proper adult when she told you that you had a perfectly good car already. Oh my. I like that you asked their opinion, but mainly it matters that the seats are comfortable and there is enough room for them and all of the stuff you may need at time to lug around. Your kids make me smile.

60/40 split is now in production. Mine, when it arrives next week, should have it.

5:25 :O Type 2 is the most common connector lol.. Dont let the 43kw AC charging put anyone off because i drove our 22kw ZOe from UK to Austria for charity covering 1013 miles in 29hrs. With Renault's thermal management it was a breeze and the AC network was flawless. I have to say i have yet to find any i3, Leaf, Hyundai, or toher EVs not including Tesla and Supercharger network that has beat our time and distance. AC is perfectly usable and is everywhere. And as with Zoe if the AC post is 22kw we will get 22kw so the advantage of the charger system on a Zoe is far more reliable than a DC Rapid due to the Zoe doing all the work from a flat AC supply. Which is also the cheapest system to install. With AC 22kw now starting to be fitted as standard in a lot of places as destination chargers its making Zoe an even more wanted car. Zoe will come with CCS and 22kw AC which again will be an amazing car. Owner for 4 years i have never been stuck or had an issue with AC i will fight the AC battle that it is still amazing and very reliable.. :P Great Video Ryan just like to put my point across and anyone that wants more info join the club RZOC and fire the questions away.

We just ordered one. Thanks for your very well structured videos and commentaries.

Great review. I really enjoy your no-nonsense approach that provides ample information for the "average driver", a category that most of us fall into. Cheers.

You can change both the indicator noise (button to the left of the main dash display which also changes the graphics) and the low speed warning noise (hold down the button used to turn this off to cycle through the options). Had mine for about two months and am loving it so far.

I've been driving one for the last three months. I really like it, even with all of the little flaws you pointed out (which I agree with). There is also the issue of the dashboard reflecting onto the windscreen and being a bit distracting, especially when driving into the sunlight. The switchover from using the motor for braking to the mechanical brakes definitely takes some getting used to. The automatic windscreen wipers are a bit awful, sometimes it only activates once you absolutely can't see anything through the heavy rain on the windscreen. (This, to be fair, is not really any different to my previous car - a Ford Focus). Same goes for the automatic lights. They sometimes come on in broad daylight, sunny weather. BTW, my average consumption is hovering around the 4.2m/kWh over the 1000-ish miles I've driven in it so far, and I don't exactly drive like a vicar. The acceleration (compared to my Focus) is just far too addictive...

Great vid, just ordered my first EV from DSG Morecambe and plain white ones are £13500 !! I paid extra for metallic purple paint £14100 great price

Please bear in mind that the list price is a fantasy price. I got £6k off mine. The type 2 socket is generally fine and more 22 KW chargers are popping up all the time. It may only charge at 22jw but as it will generally give over 4 miles per kWh this equates to 100 miles per hour. The Jag I pace can charge faster but is very inefficient so the charge speed isn't as much faster as you would think. The range means So I have only charged four times away from home in twelve thousand miles.

I love your kids. Very smart and very polite.

I've been driving a 65 plate 22Kwh Zoe for a month and agree with most of what you say. We bought it as a second car, which as you say, it is well suited to. To our surprise, the Q model, even with the limitation of a 22Kwh battery, is actually quite good for journeys up to 100 miles, provided you plan ahead. A full charge at 43Kw isn't really much longer than you'd spend on a relaxed service area stop. On the subject of build quality, one thing that has been a slight disappointment is the sound the doors make when you close them - they sound tinny and cheap compared even to our Kia Ceed Sportswagon (our main car). Finally, I'm an app developer by trade and, in my opinion, the ZE Services app is awful!

At the moment, type 2 AC plug is by far the most common, at least here in Finland. So when all the others will be looking for an available CCS fast charge, you can find ample free AC chargers at every supermarket and most city centers. So even if it's slower to charge, you can always rely on finding a free plug. Not so with the more powerful CCS charged cars

A good revue overall, but I do not have a problem with the charging times. And as a previous Leaf owner, ask Ian Sampson about his Zoe. He loves it.

Rear view?, I would dismount that centre rear headrest and keep it stored until needed.

Excellent review. We have 2 and Renault customer service has been excellent. I do think people expect 2 much vehicle size wise. The reason our roads are becoming clogged with SUVs and the huge damage they cause in accidents (take it from me, I have seen it many times) is down to modern expectation. It is quite selfish, I see everyday, large cars with one person in. Should be up there with smoking inside, very anti social. 22kw is down to the fact most charging is done at home and the rates are filtered for efficiency at these lower charge states. Other EVs can struggle and have to be throttled to 80%. No need on the AC 22. Great vlog as always.

Very honest and thorough test. I liked it. Keep this up!

Thanks for the breakdown of Zoe types, I will be buying in France where they are more expensive.

Very very good review. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👏🏼 i had it for 2 years the 22 kw one , excellent car

Great video, I bought a zoe in juli and I am loving it 👍😊

Nice beat matching of door slam with snare in background music

Many thanks for the review Ryan. It is fair to say that watching this and other reviews has helped to erode my concern over build quality and reliability. A couple of months ago Carwow had quoted me £16,700 for the model you tested and I was tempted. That said the absence of rapid charging put me off and I am still playing the waiting game. Roll on 2019!

We just purchased one in 2018 for under £15k there’s some dealers doing some nice deals. Check for dealer contributions on the deals. We pick it up next weekend.

Nice to see you finally get a proper go in one. I like the self locking too. Makes a nice noise too when it locks. Yes I hate the indicator noise too by the way. Still considering one in January to replace our ICE car. Plus we already have our Leaf 24 👍

The plug is a standard type 2. Chameleon refers to the charging system. Every rapid except instavolt supports it. As far as living with one goes, I commute 120 miles a day in mine. It's perfect. As someone has typed, you can change the indicator noise. You can also change the pedestrian warning noise as well.

Nice video. Just picked up ours last week (actually, it’s my wife’s car), a R110 limited in purple (now you understand why it is my wife’s car😉). It’s a really nice car to drive. I like the programmed charging and heathing schedule you can use (what I still not have in my Tesla Model X). The indicator sound is adjustable, the default sound is indeed a bit weird.

The joys of children in the car. I use to be like that with my sister because I wanted to see the satnav.

Looking forward to seeing your review of the Kia Nero when it comes to the UK

Just got around to watching this, wish it was available in Canada. Very nice range, but like you stated the lack of CCS and getting a quick charge close to 50KW at least for me would be tough to deal with. I have a Chevy Spark EV right now with CCS and I couldn't imagine not having the ability to quick charge. On average it takes from 25% to 100% about 18 minutes give or take to charge on CCS just wish it went farther. On a different note your kids are delightful and fun to see their perspective on the car, nice bit of humor! keep up the great work Cheers!

Searching for this land mark on Google Earth at 7:27 Fun to see your wonderful family. No Zoes sold here. Cheers from the jet city.

I think the Zoe All Charge, just like AC Propulsion’s Reductive Charger from 20 years ago, is something that needs to keep being refined as the cost of electronics get cheaper. The idea of using as many of the motor/inverter parts as possible to do double duty is likely much older than 20 years, but still its apparently not as efficient as a dedicated charger. But as more inverters start to use Silicon Carbide semiconductors, and more sophisticated circuits, maybe all the parts that let your car regen (make AC and turn it into the proper DC to charge your battery) can be reused, as well as giving the car ability to make split-phase 220v AC which can act as powerwall if you have the proper gateways installed to isolate from the grid during power outage. Once all cars only need 3-phase power, businesses can afford to make 40 stall charge points with just a 150kw plug and a meter and means of billing. Instead of buying expensive DC fast chargers, they just need to get the electric company to give them a 2000 kw grid connection, and depending on the location, they can use the money they saved on DC Charger cost to put up some solar panels and a few powerwalls like Kettleman Tesla superchargers have, to reduce peak demand charges, which allows them to be even more competitive.

Thanks Ryan, I bought this exact car from Westover Renault Poole, picking it up on Monday. 12k

Good video, had mine for 1month and dare I say it,i am enjoying it more than the Leaf!Never thought I would.For me 22kw charge rate isn't an issue because the range is so good to start with,a full battery plus a splash suits my longest journeys.Obviously others may drive further,but for the price it's a winner.

Great review Ryan. I've been tempted by this car, the range and price is good but the size is not quite there as a family car.

A great video! I'm looking to finally buy an EV in February onwards next year, and this will really help!

OK. With the larger battery and faster charging if I had the money I would buy 3 ! One for myself and the wife as a day to day runabout and one each for my daughter and son, both of whom have yet to fly the nest. Slow charging and low range have always been the bugbear of the Zoe (yes I know the 22 charges quite fast) . Quality ? In 5 years the technology will have taken a major step forward so it's a bit moot over the longer term. Good review.

Nice review Ryan 👏 you've already converted me since watching 👍

This car is only available with 22 kw ac charging , there is and never has been 44 ac charging , 43 was available on continental engine version , r110 is a Renault motor and was only 22 kw variant for 41 kw h battery . New 50 version now has 50 dc ccs option on ionic and get line

Another good review. Production values getting better and better. I would take issue, however, that the Zoe is an EV for the common man. In the "I" business section today they say that the growth in EV sales is slowing (hybrids doing well by contrast). This is put down to "The slow progress that the automotive industry is making in introducing affordable electric models has frustrated many UK car dealerships." Looking at the Zoe, it does seem sparsely equipped for £25,000 and £25,000 isn't even close to where it needs to be. £25,000 buys you a very nice top of the range VW Golf, put another £6,000 in and you are in BMW 3 series territory. A new Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost 3 door is £17,150 and that's without any discounts. Until and unless we get a car like the Zoe well below £20,000 it will still remain a niche product. Lower running costs are an attraction yes but most buyers will not get beyond the sticker price or PCP deal rates.

We are a family of 5 with 2 Renault Zoe's a 2013 22kw Dynamique Zen and a new 2018 40kw Dynamique Nav and never found the Zoe small. The price for us was perfect in so much we got the second one this year. No its not got all the toys of the Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Kona BUT its £10,000+ less and I would prefer to save that to put towards our next EV. Never will we go back to a ICE car again. Regards Rob & Sarah.

I respect Renault for doing what they've done - bringing decent EV's to the bottom end of the market. But they desperately need a complete refresh. The interior needs an upgrade to a less plasticy finish, the charging needs to be CCS rapid capable, the app needs to be as versatile as the BMW i3 app, the rapid charging speed needs to be 100kw minimum and the battery needs an upgrade to 60 or even 80 Kwh. The exterior is ok, but should be updated too.. and the charging socket should be on the driver's side, rather than the front.

I can get one for £290 pm! But, I can only fast and rapid charge, as I've no off street parking, but at only 22kw charging, I'm gonna have to wait a while for the Q90 to come down in price!

Type 2 is very common in Europe. I own a Zoe Q90 premium with 43 kW charging. Not often used as I charge at home but it was relevant on the few longer trips. Waiting 1h for another 250km is okay, but 2h? Not really. RLink sucks. Today I would rather go for a Kona electric. Better value for the money.

Great review

Zoe in second car is very good !

If you were going for 2 cars then perhaps get Kona electric 64kw and a Renault Zoe ( maybe 2nd hand - but most seem to be leased batteries ). See "The EV Puzzle" re the top end Kona vs the bottom end one.

Brilliant Review. Thank you.

Try holding out for the Tesla Model 3. If you’re daughter though the little screen in the Zoe was cool, I would love to see her reaction to the 15” screen in the Model 3. You know I’m right. Regards Séamus

Personally I gave up on Renault Zoe when they put that nice show on showing off that Hot Hatch but never delivered it to the public a few years ago. They caught my attention with the hype but in the end it was just a lot of hot air and I moved on from expecting anything from them worth my money.

Good review

Hi. I test drive a 2015 22KWh version and loved it. I would have gone for it, but my wife and daughter sat in the back during the test drive, and when I asked then what they thought, they hated it, saying it was crashy and bumpy and they moved all over the place when I cornered. I was very surprised and disappointed that the car was out of the running, choice wise. I experienced none of this whilst driving and actually thought it drove very nicely. Did your relatives notice anything like this when sitting in the back?

Good points.

There are some excellent lease deals on bmwi i3 at the moment. It's next gen after that or a leaf.

Thanks Ryan.

maybe acceleration is faster, but that's already good on my Q90. The top speed is the same and charging speed is only half. So why should I buy a R110? I can't see any advantage of that car.

Big downsides of Zoe is the glove box and cup holders. The glove box will hold a pair of gloves, period and the cup holders don't. Brakes are more "snatchy" in the wet. Electrical errors on early Zoe's have largely been fixed. We don't hear many (if any) tales of 'Electric Failure Danger' any more. The noise can be changed. 180 miles range can be easily (off motorway) achieved. Motorway range around 120 miles achievable. The price is now too high as the Kona 39 kWh will be also 25 grand. I've had 2 Zoe's now and it's unlikely I will have a third.

Isn’t the new one (shown at Paris auto show) got 60/40 rear seats, more power and updated infotainment (including a new phone app)?

You'll have to test the new Hyundai Kona EV. It's getting rave reviews and is probably something that would fit your family's needs.

You can charge all of the noises it makes. Also you can pick up a brand new one 2019 in blue for £14,185. Car WOW does the best deals for this car. At that price it makes it the best EV on the market at that range!!

Crikey, you're father in law is John Craven?? Looking forward to your Kona & eNiro videos.......

The big about the plug is totally untrue. Type 2 is the most common?

Zoe i came out in November 2014

actually you cant use the 43kW Chameleon charger wth the R110 motor, only on Q90 annoyingly, the motor which'll drain the battery faster is limited to the slower charger

Ny Zoe that won't charge in one go. The car has been into garages several times. This is what happens: the Zoe will charge for a couple of hours then stops charging. However, if I have a brief charge on the motorway on the way home then the car will charge for a long period at home. If I don't do this brief charge then charging cuts out at about 2 hours in, stops for about 8 hours then restarts of its own accord or if you open the doors. Readers, if charging cuts out during a charge when you have bought a Zoe, don't go past 30 days after delivery. REJECT. Mine is a defective car and Renault have done nothing but try to delay delay delay. I do not want anyone to have to deal with the daily problem that I have encountered and the obstruction of Renault UK's escalations team. Heed my advice and avoid the complete hassle that I have had and have to waste hours every week trying to deal with Renault UK and the dealer who sold me this defective car.

you actually cant get the 43kW charger on the R110, only on the Q90. Renault restrict the R110 to 22kW only

I recommend that you do your homework regarding the differences between the Q and R model.My dealer from Sales,Service and Sales Manager cannot tell the difference.Also the Q charger has been not very reliable...Surprise only the French could make an unreliable electric car.My Q model is currently waiting for a replacement charger at over £1K so keep the warranty active as well.

This might seem a bit picky but your daughter for the sake of her safety should wear her seatbelt properly over her shoulder.

Sorry but your charging speed information is wrong. ALL early Zoes had 43kW chargers, it was only when they added the Renault motor that it went down to 22kW and even then you have always had the option to spec the 43kW charge option. Yes the motor was a bit less efficient but that was the trade off. I had no idea any Zoe's came without a rear view camera though. The type 2 connector bit was rather misleading, like others have said it is probably the most common connector out there. Yes your Leaf doesn't have one but the new one does. So many places have 22kW AC chargers, like supermarkets, as they are cheap chargers. I can get a full charge whilst doing a small (ish) shop, can any other EV do that? Fan noise seem to be different in different cars, I've had one that made a terrible racket but my current one is almost silent, no idea why it would change so much though.

Great review. Your prices seem to be off by about £6,000. I bought Renault ZOE Signature (top-spec) with metallic paint for £14,000 interest included, with leased battery. Sticker price is usually about £6,000 higher than the actual carwow price.

I never buy one used it just to hard to know what your buying.

Do Zoe's have passive or active battery management? With the lease option still being a thing and other stuff I'm guessing passive. Let me know if I'm wrong.

You can change indicator noise with screen setting change , put auto heating on , build quality perfectly ok , ps leaf one generally the ugliest ev

Plane Jane. I would put some stripes on her. Good run about Not for Family. My Lil Smart passion for two is my Go To Car. I Have a Ford F-150 Pickup. And. Hyundai Sonata which we Love. Looking for a E.V but not sure which. Leaf Makes More since. Great Vid as Usual.

Even Renault dealers are getting confused........ or are they just trying to screw us?! Looking for a Zoe i on Auto trader, brings up i's that are battery leased, even the main dealers!

On the topic of indicator noises, do you like it in the Leaf? Everyone tells me it sounds like an indicator from the bus in the leaf, and I kind of agree with that in my 30kw Leaf

So how long does it take to charge

Worth noting the Q90 doesn't get the quicker horsepower :) Video on my channel on how to just look at motor and tell if its Q or R

Great honest review of real world use. However I don't agree with you saying the car for the masses or at this price! Like 25k is ok!!! It's a rip off plain and simple. All the big car firms have been taking the piss for years and it's only getting worse. Costs in production and labor have reduced dramatically over the past 10-15 years yet we are paying 3 times more now than we used to for the same vehicle! Please don't bother with the old oh battery tech la di da di da. It's a battery and an electric motor thats it's! A real car is may more complicated to put together. If you want a car for the masses look at the German soon motors Sion at 16k. Not 25k! You can order it now. But more importantly to back up my claim ask yourself this. How can a bunch of kids in Germany produce a great car for 16k in a shed but the so called industry can't? Simple....there taking the piss! It's a movement join it and buy one I hope they sell millions if them they deserve to.

CCs is the european standard !

that car costs so much that it is cheaper to rebuild at home from normal older car to electric one

Hi. As a driving instructor, would you buy one for Southampton??

£25k is far too expensive. If it was around £18k I think that's more realistic. And I usually really defend the price point of EVs compared to their ICE equivalents. I really hope they do away with the battery rental on the old models as this is a real deal breaker and it's almost impossible to find one with the battery bought out.

Is it pronounced “rennull”?

Can a level 2 chargepoint evse charge a Zoe ?

small with a big boot ?????

£25000 for a car the size of a cleo that you can buy for £13000. Not sure the sums add up. How many families could afford this as their main car? Sorry to be negative but ev cars prices have to do better for the majority of drivers. Reality check the avarage salary is £26000 in the uk and drivers wont convert until prices compare to that of main stream car prices.

Wasn't overly impressed with the car. Yes fantastic battery but interior very poor

Interesting review. I am in Queensland, Australia which is possibly the worst first world country for prospective EV owners. I notice the Zoe has only just become available here - though with an uninspiring price tag of a shade under $50,000 AUD. It was originally released as a fleet car only but in the first 6 months they sold a pitiful 23 cars. I have read that less than 3,000 EVs have been sold in Australia total. I looked for used Nissan Leafs for sale and there ere only 7 in the whole country (all between $20-30k). Not surprising given that there are no federal incentives and they attract high import duties and taxes. I have personally seen only 2 EVs on the road here ever. Both Tesla Model X. Unless we have wholesale change in government policy (which is more pro-fossil cars than even Donald Trump) then expect Australia to be the last bastion of fossil cars in the world.

Dude charge times ..what the hell do 43kw charging mean in hours/battery %

I purchased my Q90 battery owned for £18,500 in june last year. A battery leased is around £13,595 plus monthly battery rental. dsg-renault.co.uk/model.php?type=cars&model=zoe Check out carwow for battery owned prices.

Hyundai Ioniq is a better choice at that price

Nice debunking of the stats that car manufacturers always push. Having said that I would never buy a Renault.

Only 12 s. Dam, thats slow

WTF is a Renaouuuultt?

Noddy car, wouldn't be seen dead in it.

Ny Zoe that won't charge in one go. The car has been into garages several times. This is what happens: the Zoe will charge for a couple of hours then stops charging. However, if I have a brief charge on the motorway on the way home then the car will charge for a long period at home. If I don't do this brief charge then charging cuts out at about 2 hours in, stops for about 8 hours then restarts of its own accord or if you open the doors. Readers, if charging cuts out during a charge when you have bought a Zoe, don't go past 30 days after delivery. REJECT. Mine is a defective car and Renault have done nothing but try to delay delay delay. I do not want anyone to have to deal with the daily problem that I have encountered and the obstruction of Renault UK's escalations team. Heed my advice and avoid the complete hassle that I have had and have to waste hours every week trying to deal with Renault UK and the dealer who sold me this defective car.

A good revue overall, but I do not have a problem with the charging times. And as a previous Leaf owner, ask Ian Sampson about his Zoe. He loves it.