Renault Zoe cars

The style of the car

The Zoe is a small five-door hatchback with futuristic styling inside and out. The charging port is cleverly hidden behind the front Renault badge. It’s quite a tall car because the batteries are mounted under the interior floor. That puts the seating position quite high, which gives you a great view out.

How it drives

The Zoe is really easy to drive around town thanks to its small size, automatic gearbox, light steering, and great view out. And, like all electric cars, it can accelerate surprisingly quickly from a standstill if you put your foot down hard. It feels comfortable and solid on the motorway and is even quite enjoyable on a twisty road. Post-2019 cars also have a ‘B mode’ that allows ‘one pedal’ driving. It amplifies the regenerative braking that both recharges the battery and slows down the car to the extent that you rarely need to touch the brake pedal. It takes a bit of practice to get used to it but it’s the most efficient way to drive the Zoe.

The interior

The Zoe is a small hatchback with five doors and five seats. It’s about the same size as the Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta. The seats are quite high off the ground which can feel a bit odd at first, but you soon get used to it. And it’s potentially useful for people with mobility issues, as you simply step into the Zoe, rather than lower yourself down into the seat. Legroom and headroom are a bit tight in the back seats but average-size adults will be comfortable enough and children should have no complaints about the space available. The boot is quite roomy, with space for three medium suitcases. It’s much larger than the boot of rivals such as the Mini Electric and Vauxhall Corsa-e, and the back seats fold down to create an even larger load area. All Zoes come with air con, cruise control, sat nav and a 10-inch digital display.

Running costs and reliability

The Zoe is one of the most affordable electric cars, though it costs more to buy than a petrol or diesel car of similar size. Running costs will be very low, with the cost to charge the battery far less than what you’d pay to cover the same mileage in a petrol or diesel car. After an update in 2019, the Zoe can comfortably go more than 200 miles before it needs recharging. Cars built before 2019 have a smaller battery range. Some earlier Zoes are subject to a separate monthly leasing charge for the batteries, but none of the Zoe cars you see on Cazoo have this arrangement. Road tax is free and insurance costs are low. Renault scored a mid-table ranking in the J.D. Power 2019 UK Vehicle Dependability Study. Safety experts Euro NCAP gave the previous Zoe a full five-star safety rating but haven’t tested the latest model.

How it compares with similar cars

A lot of new small electric cars were launched in 2020 but before then, the Zoe was in a class of one. It’s closest competitor was the Nissan Leaf, a bigger car with about the same range. Among the Zoe’s new rivals are the Honda e, Mini Electric and Peugeot e-208. None of those can match the latest Zoe’s battery range.