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How does the electric Renault ZOE compare to its Nissan sibling?

Image of Robert Llewellyn
Author: | Updated: 04 Nov 2013 11:31

One of the big advantages of driving a Nissan LEAF 35,000 miles becomes apparent when you get to drive another electric car. Instead of just experiencing the novelty of the electric car (oh goodness me, it’s so quiet!) I have something concrete to judge it against.

For the last week I have had the use of a Renault ZOE and after a mere 400 miles of driving, I think I can safely say I rather like it.

Renault ZOE 2012

I had driven one before during the press launch, but you don’t really get a proper impression of using the car when you do that. You just discover if it actually goes along, stops and goes around corners. Well, it does.

Living with ZOE

It feels lighter and smaller than the LEAF, probably because it is. It’s smooth, easy to drive and feels solid and secure on the road.

Longer term experiences bring up other insights.

Renault ZOE 2012 ZE transmission stick blackThe ZOE still has a traditional gear selector lever which is a bit boring and after getting used to the semi-computer mouse in the LEAF, a clunky lever feels a bit old school. I had trouble selecting reverse a few times, something that’s never happened in the LEAF.

The navigation and power usage information is subtly different from the LEAF. It’s very clear and simple and tells you everything you need to know at a mere glance.

If, for example, you are driving the original Nissan LEAF and you are at the top of a long downhill road the range indicator might say 63 miles at the top of the Renault ZOE interiorhill, when you get to the bottom it might have gone up to 70.

In the Renault, if it predicted 63 miles range at the top of the same hill it would still say 63 at the bottom.

The difference being that it would stay reading 63 miles range for the following 6 or 7 miles while the LEAF would drop down from 70 to 63 again.

I have to say I prefer the ZOE way of telling you how far you can get, in all the trips I’ve made, some quite long hauls to try out using the slightly different rapid charger input, I have never approached a state that could be described as range anxious.

I have driven in bright sunshine during the day and torrential rain and howling winds at night and always felt safe and in control of the car. I have negotiated the winding muddy lanes around my home (yes, it needs a wash, sorry, Renault) and hacked down motorways for hours without a care.

Charging forward

However the main and most important difference between the original model LEAF and the Renault ZOE comes when you charge it. It has a rather different input socket and I knew I didn’t have the facilities at my house to charge it.

Renault ZOE 2012

Yes me, Mr-Oh-So-Green-I-Get-My-Tofu-Delivered-By-Ocado electric car nut could not charge this car at home!

I had to get the lovely folks at ZeroCarbonWorld to come to my house to replace an old 16 AMP tethered wall charger to one with a 32 AMP Mennekes socket.

The ZOE plugs into any outlet with a Mennekes socket and in case you didn’t know, these are what the vast majority of public charge facilities are fitted with.

ZOE chargingNissan LEAF at an Ecotricity fast charger small

In the ZOE and the new Nissan LEAF this means the car can accept a 32 AMP fast charge.

‘So what?’ I hear you possibly ask.

So everything, a 32 amp fast charge fills the batteries with surprising speed.

I didn’t know quite how fast it charged at home because I was asleep but when I used a charger at a motorway services, the battery level had leapt from 51 per cent to 94 per cent in the time it took me to sup a flat white and post a witty tweet; literally a few minutes.ZOE on the drive

Using the same input socket at the front of the ZOE, you can also use a rapid charger. While these are still relatively rare, there are over 50 around the country now (this time next year, over 150), I have used three in different locations during my journeys and these chunky fellows charge the car to 100 per cent in about 20 minutes.

Add to all these benefits is the fact that the ZOE is by far the cheapest electric car on the market at the moment and it all starts to head for ‘no brainer’ territory. I accept that some people find the battery lease arrangement that Renault introduced a little off-putting, but the massive benefits and the minimal running costs of the ZOE mean that with a smaller outlay and the ability to pass on the battery lease if you sell the vehicle, the Renault ZOE is a bargain.

So my argument is, if you own your home with off street parking, have a roof that can support solar panels and the funds to invest in an EV and a solar system, and you choose not to; you are nothing short of stupid and pitifully ignorant of the benefits. Yes, sadly the world is full of stupid people.

Robert Llewellyn at home with his electric car and solar panels

For all those who live in rented property, apartments, terraced housing with no off-street parking but who would like to drive electric, you are not stupid.

You are lovely and you should check out the numerous car clubs. I recently went to the launch of one such scheme in Poplar, East London who rent Renault ZOEs by the hour, day or week. They have dedicated parking slots with chargers so anyone can to have a go.

I really like the ZOE, I’m going to be a bit depressed today when the Renault man comes to take it back.

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