Renault ZOE range, battery & charging
The ZOE is hard to fault here, given that it has one of the best ranges in its class, although standard rapid charging would be welcome
| Version | Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| R110 | 245 miles | 8hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | N/a |
| R110 Rapid Charge | 245 miles | 8hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 56mins (10-80%, 50kW) |
| R135 Rapid Charge | 239 miles | 8hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 56mins (10-80%, 50kW) |
The Renault ZOE’s official range of 245 miles (239 for the R135) is seriously impressive, and currently betters all of its rivals, including the Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Corsa-e and even the larger and more expensive Nissan Leaf - although the e-208 is soon getting a 248-mile range. Renault also states real-world ranges of 233 miles in summer and 149 miles in winter, which seems feasible. It’s a shame you have to pay extra for rapid charging, which isn't standard on the cheapest R110 version.
Renault ZOE range
The ZOE’s official range figures of 245 miles for the R110 model and 239 miles for the R135 are seriously impressive – especially as that translates to efficiency of some 4.7 miles per kWh, one of the best numbers we’ve seen from an electric car. Renault’s stated real-world ranges of 233 miles in summer and 149 in winter also seem achievable.
Charge time
As standard, the entry-level ZOE comes with a Type 2 socket and cable that'll allow you to plug into the majority of public chargers found in town centres, supermarkets and shopping centres. The fastest charge you’ll get is 22kW (the maximum speed is dictated by the car, not the charger, so if you plug into a 50kW unit, you’ll still only charge at 22kW in the ZOE), which works out at 40 miles of range added in 30 minutes.
At home, a 7.4kW wallbox will complete a full top-up in under nine hours. The good news is that Renault will install yours for free, provided you’ve got the necessary off-road parking and electrical supply. The ZOE also comes with a three-pin cable for plugging into a standard socket at home, which will charge the car up at a rate of 2.3kW. It’ll take some 24 hours to get to 100% at that rate, but it’s still a useful backup if it’s your only option when visiting family or staying away.
Go for one of the Rapid Charge models and the socket in the ZOE’s nose gets two extra pins. This allows you to plug into public rapid chargers of the type commonly found in motorway service areas and A-road charging hubs, boosting the maximum charging speed to nearly 50kW, which will get the battery from near-empty to 80% capacity in just under an hour.
