Why The New Renault Zoe ZE50 is the Only Sensible Electric Car I Have Driven 

I dated a Zoe once, she had plastic bumpers too

Thing about the gear lever: you never go into N. I've had mine since July - never, ever deliberately gone into N. It has automatic hold for traffic lights and hills. The parking brake is automatic. Neutral serves no purpose, nor does park - which this car doesn't have. I think the gear lever is fine. Note on the range: Unless I'm doing motorway miles, 200 miles is easily achievable. Summer, when I got it, I never got less than 220. I did North Yorkshire to the Eden Project in Cornwall in mine in October in a rainstorm doing 70 down the M6 and M5: never got below 160 miles of range. Did it easily with two stops - breakfast and lunch - to charge. It's not really true to say that you can't long distance the thing - you absolutely can.

I never realised that electric cars appeal to those who live far from a petrol station, and can simply charge from home.

I drive a 5 year old zoe daily and honestly it's the best thing I've ever done...

I own a ZE40 (I paid 17k for it new in 2017), and while I mostly agree with you (it is essentially cheap-to-run transport), I think you have a few facts out of place. The first version of the Zoe (available in 2013) had a 22kWh usable battery. That was replaced in 2017 by the ZE40, all of which had a 40kWh battery. All of these cars had 22kW fast AC charging, and ones with a "Q" in the name had 43kWh rapid AC charging. The ZE50 (available in 2020) has 22kW as standard, and CCS is (absurdly) a paid for option, which gives you up to 50kW charging and access to a lot more chargers (in the UK at least). The bodyshell is basically the same across all the models, but the ZE 50 has an upgraded interior and lights as well as the bigger battery. There is keyless entry of sorts - if the key is around the car and you press the little rubber button on the drivers door then it will unlock all the doors, but the keycard for the ZE40 was more useful because that has a pre-heat button. Be careful with the 13A charger (aka the granny lead). Using it off a regular extension cable is a bad idea (they heat up and melt/cut out), so if you plan on using an extension cable, get a heavy duty one for this purpose. Also, Renault advise not to use the 13A charger regularly - if the socket you plug it into isn't in good condition then the plug will get hot and potentially melt the socket! This is why they only supply it as an extra (for an absurd price - buy a 3rd party one through the owners club for half the price). As a device for getting from A-B in comfort it's pretty good - it's relaxing and simple to drive and live with. Pre-heat is awesome. It is not a drivers car in any way, and it doesn't attempt to be - if you're after fun then look elsewhere.

All Zoes can charge up to 22.5kw as standard on AC . Some versions of the ZE40 charge at 43kw. Home charging on AC single phase is 7.4kw which is what you quoted . The ZE50 can also charge at 50 using CCS as an option(well 46 in practise)

I'm a massive petrol head, but considering an electric car as a 2nd small run around car. This is currently top of the list as range per buck I think its the best out there. A top of the range GT lease is about £190 a month which is nearly £100 cheaper than its nearest rival.

If you haven't tried the i3 I thoroughly recommend it James - we looked at all the small hatch options including the Zoe before getting ours (finally delivered last month). One thing really going for EVs right now is the zero rated BIK - mine is through a company leasing scheme which basically means your PCP comes out of pre tax salary, a massive saving if you're on higher rate. EVs can be fun to drive, but for real enjoyment and involvement I have to confess I don't think I'm ever giving up my TVR!

"The remains of a geograhy teacher.." Brilliant!.

It is fully keyless, you probably used the button on the card which switches keyless entry off until the next engine shut off.

Every Zoe built has from Domestic 7kW up to 22kW AC charging as standard.Earlier Q-Spec cars had 43kW AC charging,they've moved to 50kW CCS DC with the ZE50.

Hi, you are being a little over critical! I have a 70 reg iconic ZE50 R110 and so far I am very pleased after only 5 months. It only has a type 2 charger, but at 22kW charging that’s 2.5 hours for a full charge and I never need a full charge. I charge overnight and my last one was 29 kW for a mere £4.20 with my home Wallbox (7.4kW). The gear lever (for want of a better name) has a Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Braking, which you never mentioned! Regenerative braking system very useful to conserve energy. I agree with the lack of refinements, I only have rear parking sensors and no camera, disappointing as my Hyundai i20 did have one. The drive train is excellent, why no mention of the auto brake system? It comes on when you brake to a stop as indicated by a green brake light on the dash. The parking brake is applied when the car “engine” is stopped or the switch is pulled up, just behind the mobile phone charging place. I also like having the 3 options of speedo etc display and the cruise and max speed controls. The pedestrian warning sound can be muted and on later examples can have different selection of sounds, not just the one. The preconditioning can be done from the app as can the charging schedule. It also has the maintenance warning calendar. Mine only has the small touch screen, but reasonable satnav and this can display charging services. The dash also has a current speed limit display with a fuzzy edge if it is exceeded. Lots and lots of extra goodies, some of which I haven’t mentioned, so why be so critical. Btw it was only £14,000! I was also fortunate that it had less than 5000 miles on the odometer display, which I thought was good. So please be more thorough and a little more generous with your reviews.

Given the owner picked it for the interior looking like a car, I have to agree. Tesla interiors are so bland. Especially the Model 3 with that tacky looking screen slapped on. But I have a disdain towards cars with screens anyway.

Lol Jay, good point on the trim materials. In Canada we would have said “the remains of a history teacher”.😅

Only Jay can make a 20 minute episode about a boring car entertaining.

I really like this purple color

MG 5 Estate is 24k and i saw one for sale at a garage for 21,500. That's the car i'd choose if i wanted electric

The thing with the blank push buttons means actually that some features are missing from that car, like 360 camera or parking assist etc. Same with the blank buttons on the steering wheel - adaptive tempomat, lane assist missing. Same like on the Clio 5. Otherwise all push button features can also be managed from the screen, the push buttons are there for comfort and quickness.

par for the course for Arnold Shark... won't be too long before they charge you for the air in the cabin

07:20 For the records, that village is Long Melford in Suffolk.

I drove the pre face lifted version of these and I found it to be my favourite of the EVs I’ve driven (a Leaf, Kona and BMW i3). I don’t like the looks of it, the little key card and the cheep plastics, but it’s the one I could use everyday. No fiddly gear selector or anything. I just think of it as a smaller electric Clio

I have a Zoe ZE50 and it cost me £23k, so comparison with the base £29k+ e-Niro is hardly balanced, and the range of the Leaf is much lower, so again...horses for courses. Also, do your research, James; 2+2? maybe for people your size, & the app is great, works fine.

Zoe was always a good looking car.

I drive a 63 reg Zoe and it charges at 43kw on rapid chargers and 7kw on normal chargers. Also 22kw and 3kw. Also the Zoe is supposed to come WITH a charging cable as standard..Your friend needs to go back to the dealer and demand one, it is part of the car.

Every reviewer makes the same remarks about renault steering wheel controls. Spend some time with them and they just make sense!

James, I do appreciate your forthright honesty in calling out crap standards, BY NAME, where you see it - specifically that Scottish dealer who didn't supply a car with ANY charging ability whatsoever!! Ludicrous and shameful!!!

Sticking with my " self charging Hybrid " . EV new price and infrastructure the issues . Great review

Some corrections.... Renault are french, not Japanese. The base model Zoe can charge at 22kW from a 3 phase AC charger, still less than the DC charge of the rapid charge CCS version but not the 7kW you make it out to be.

Concerning the key-card, you are not right. It's a hands-free card, which means you do not need to push the buttons on it, you can just have it in your pocket. When u want to unlock the car, you approach the car and push the small rubber button on the door handle or the button to open the trunk. The car unlocks. Then you have the button to start/stop the engine. And when you want to lock the car, you just close the doors and walk away. The car knows you are walking away with the card and locks itself automatically.

Early Zoes only had 7.5kW charging? No Jay. They all had at least 22kW charging, some had 43kW. What they all had was type 2 AC charging only! All the new Zoes have 22kW type 2 AC charging and some have 50kW CCS.

The MG products are highly competitive on price, if you are just running the car for 3 years on a deal, although I appreciate the ZS EV and MG5 are bigger.

Oh how things have changed, I was looking at these a couple of years ago when they were chucking them at you for 17k

There's after market companies offering sound packs for Teslas. Milltek have sound kits that allow you to choose sounds in an app, including V12 exhaust 😳

11: I want mine to sound like a tie fighter from star wars

Hi Jay, if you haven't already tried it - you need to look at the new MG5 ev estate car - looks like a real 1st in the vfm EV range. Over 200 mls range, about 155 bhp, plus all the toys you could want. Plus, amazing to testers, amazing build quality. Prices start from £24,500 and the top spec is iirc £26,500. It looks to be really good.

Should try a Polestar 2, JayEmm :D

The most odd road test report I've ever seen. I own a new Zoe and I didn't recognise the car as described, certainly I've never once experienced the reverse gear difficulty complained about. As for the absurd observation regarding the keypad, I laughed like a drain at that juncture. As a reviewer the presenter makes a good comedian and in that capacity yes, I did "enjoy" the report - for the wrong reason. Indelibly memorable! .

Thanks for the vid, James. Cool to see that B2-generation Audi 80 at 7:23 :)

The app on the ZE50 Zoe gives you the car's location and directions to find it which us an improvement on rhe ZE40. Thanks for the info on the blank buttons re functions replicated on the screen. Good review I learned stuff thanks

I've driven lots of Renault with that key card mostly with keyless entry. All the time it was in my pants pocket or my jacket.

Superb assessment, humorous yet detailed.Thanks.

Nice explanation of this nice driving car. Apparently Renault has no intention to proceed in developing this car. 😌

I think your miles off the Mark with the everyday use of a Zoe. With its easily well over 200 mile range it make a great wee commute car, and with that big boot a good family car. Active battery management compared to a Leaf. Only competition might be Amb MGzS ev fir price but with less miles.

Being able to put the car into reverse whilst still moving forwards is BRILLIANT!! seriously, go do a three point turn down a tight town street and report back!

The rattle in the back is the boot (grab boot handle and pull it up and down, it will creak horribly). All the ZE50s seem to do it. Packing the lock mechanism with grease seams to be the cure.

the trouble with electric cars , apart from the problems with charging in most domestic homes, is the obscene cost. Compare this 30 k car with a cheap as chips Grot Box Petrol Car the Dacia Sandero for around 8 thousand pounds. The mpg and road fund licence compared to the price differential means the ZOE is just a nuts shopping trolley. I wonder if the 1st year depreciation would pay for the Sandero outright ?

We had a 2013 one of these for 3 years until it got written off. In those days, you rented the battery for a monthly fee (around £100 depending on your mileage) but the list price was lower and we bought our demonstrator with

Renault missed a trick by not having a renaultsport version. A quick one would be mental.

Good review. A few things I noted though. Blank piano buttons are perfect for resting your hand on when using the screen. The gear lever is sensitive but to be honest I never use Neutral, it's either Drive or Reverse. The auto brake is very good when in traffic. The app does work fairly well now including pre-conditioning, you cant use it to lock/unlock the car but the key does that when you walk up to or away from the car. The key is supposed to go on the pad just below the control knobs.

Looking forward to the time when manufacturers get the basics of electric cars sorted for an acceptable price.. and then the sporty models can come along after. RenaultSport, GTI, ST/RS electric models etc

A Twizy is not more remarkable than the Zoe... I drive a Twizy and a Zoe at work and Twizy is rubbish. Looks very cute and is mildly fun to watch people's reactions to it, but to drive it is absolutely terrible. It has none of the "instant punch" that other electric cars have. That being said I would love a Twizy review, shame I can't offer you our work fleet for review lol.

Nice review as always 👍

33K for a Renault Zoe is completely nutts. That's 320D money, I know which I'd rather have

Please review the MG ZS EV. Currently my wife has an old Freelander 1 diesel and she loves the thing to bits. She likes sitting up high but it's not too big. The problem is that we live in London and one day TFL is going to come after it I'm sure (or rust). We have a drive to park on so charging wouldn't be a problem and she only does short journeys so to be honest the ZS on paper looks perfect.

Hi James, we have a Zoë and I really like the mudflaps. Were you get these, original Renault? Thank you mate! Keep up the good work.

Good video but you research about charging is completely incorrect. All Zoe's can charge at up to 22kw AC. In the ze40 and the 22kwh you could option the q motor for up to 43 kw AC charging. Only the ZE 50 can DC charge but that is an option.

You need to get your hands on a MG 5 I hear very not bad things about them. Considering the price, very not bad is pretty good.

Still around 10 grand too expensive, if they want these ev’s to take off they have to be competitive in price with the equivalent ice driven cars

The Zoe in Aus is 50K to 60K!!! No subsidies to speak off (actually the states are trying to implement a road usage tax) and battery is included in price. You could count on your fingers and toes how manny have been sold to private buyers in a few years.

Wasn't expecting this :) Nice !

Definitely a glass half full type of review

i have a question: wouldn't adding multiple speed gearboxes, like a 5 speed, to electric cars greatly extend their range? since the motors wouldnt be making too much work...

Careful! There are some factual mistakes in this review. Please have a look at other reviews also. Do not make buying decision only based on this video. Regards, ZE50 owner

The MK1 Ford Focus reverse light and fog light reflector units are still alive and well then

The carrot to buy an EV doesn't come from the government, it comes from technolgy and the market. 4 miles per kWh and 7.5p/kWh (overnight) means a fuel cost of 1.9p/mile. That's got to be a massive saving over an ICE car. Also, as you mentioned at the start, your mate who lent you the Zoe doesn't have the inconvenience of visiting petrol stations because it's fully charged every morning

Thank you for updating my view on the new Zoe EV. Still wouldn’t buy this car far to expensive for a city car.

On the subject of cables, I have had a BMW i3 for 3 years and have never taken the cables with me or even used the 13A plug charger. Public chargers have cables attached and I have an 11KW charging point with a type 2 connector. Hence the 13A cable really is a waste of time. And slow.

It’s why I have a 135 rapid ze50 for the commute

What do you think about the peugeot e-208 ? Will you test it ? In terms of fun electric cars i suggest the mini cooper SE, FWD 184hp must be the first electric hot hatch !!

Are you saying perhaps the Zoë is a reasonably reasonable car?

Long Melford still looks good

French manufacturers are the kings of silly design and changes throughout a car's life. I once changed all brake discs and pads on a Peugeot 206 and when buying replacements found out that there were about 6 different variants of brake pads that Peugeot's 206 had used during production.

14:00 that accidental reversing sounds really sounds like a major issue to me. I wonder how many Zoes will reverse into the car behind them at a traffic stop or roundabout.

Personally I like the Peugeot e-208 more but the Zoe will save you a couple grands.

Take the mg evs for a drive and see

18:48 how did you time it to have that Tesla going by at just when making that point? The coincidence gods must have been smiling.

Now?if only they would sell and service them here in the U.S.

You might want to compare this to BMW i3 - a much more interesting car

Regarding your accidental selection of reverse, who puts an EV into neutral while in motion? I think you are probably in a small minority and should perhaps reconsider your driving habits.

James unrelated to this video , but in light of recent videos which GT ? 599 Vanquish or FF ? I want a V12 Gt. Driven FF and F12 , not that stable. Thinking 599 or Vanquish. Your opinion is valuable . Thanks let me know. D

Except to side airbacks are removed on the ze50, so eurocap is 0 star rated .

Electric cars need to be 30% cheaper than they are now for the government's electric future to be possible. This may mean going back in time to something like the 60s where even a car radio was an extra.

2:07 - New Leaf???

Shame this is so poorly research (key card, charging rates) as the review is pretty balanced. Not sure how you got the charging rates so badly wrong as a 30 second Google will tell you ALL Zoes charge at up to 22kw AC on a type 2 connector and the old Q models went up to 43kw.

Sorry, the older Zoe could charge up to 43kW AC, the newer Zoes, including the ZE.50, can still charge 22kW AC as standard.

Cue 4 years later & the Renault Scenic E-Tech, looks great, top spec & 379 miles. Leaps & bounds. Take that, fossil fuels.

The warm up from the app function is broken. It seems you need you take the car back to a dealer to have it updated. Apparently it has to be done by plugging a diagnostic computer in to car, despite the much vaunted over the air updates...

You won't have that problem with Which as they have just given the Zoe a "Don't Buy" recommendation!

Le titre et la description en français, la vidéo en anglais : total manque de respect.

I don't know man. The Taycan seemed better than the Zoe when i drove it :P Let's just avoid talking about the price tag..

The only sensible electric car is affordable (!), has a small battery for daily and a range extender for long distance driving. PS: "the remains of a Geography teacher" :D

Sorry you got the charging wrong , original 43 Kwac , cameleon charger , what car do their homework . Ps reverse problem just crap , maybe you don’t fit the car

That wsa an upsy, you categorized it into the lesbian market, somebody WILL get offended 😂

e208 has much faster charging and better packaging (rear space and boot)

I don't own an MG but would find it hard for it to match the awful customer reputation of Renault

So this or a Yaris GR 🤔

The designers deserve a kick in the butt for those blank buttons! It's WAY more sensible to have duplication and a choice of modus operandi than simply taking analog controls away. Don't try and tell me this lowers cost because that's horseshit!

But ‘Zoe’ I just can’t 😩

Tesla 45000 pounds , hardly comparable

Just electric appliances. Sad how that one (even at 20K) is twice the price to my nearly identical Chevy Aveo that gets me 40MPG and not a drain on the taxpayers.