The vehicles are equipped with the Z.E.40 battery and have an estimated range of 174 miles. They are based at County Hall in Chichester and are already in service as pool cars, helping the council to cut emissions and costs by offering staff an alternative to using their own vehicles. They have already become popular, booked out every day and allowing users to travel from council HQ to points as far afield as Crawley and Shoreham and back on a single charge.
“We have had electric vehicles on trial and extended demos before and must have looked at every model out there but they have never been quite right for us” said Loretta Haddow, Team Leader – Fleet Resource and Support, at West Sussex County Council. “But the latest Zoe was the game changer for us and the extended range made it a viable option for the first time. We are really pleased that the Zoe is able to get across the county and back and we wanted to give everyone who’s going to take one of these cars the confidence to know that wherever they’re going to go they’re going to get back again. Since going into service we’ve been really impressed with how easy and relaxing they are to drive. The team love them. They’re really popular.”
Haddow added that while range and emissions were the biggest factors the council, as a public sector organisation it still has to present a compelling business case before adding new vehicles to its fleet. In this case, the Zoe ticked all the boxes in terms of whole life costs.
Zoe is the best-selling electric car in Europe with more than 100,000 vehicles sold since launching in 2013 with over 6,000 in the UK. The Zoe is one of three models in Renault’s diverse electric vehicle range which also includes the Twizy quadricycle, the Kangoo Van Z.E., Europe’s best selling electric van, and the forthcoming Master Z.E. large panel van.
The Renault Zoe is available in a choice of two trim levels, Dynamique Nav and Signature Nav, both of which come with the new R110 electric motor, combining extra power with driving enjoyment and the Z.E 40 battery that provides a 174-mile real world range. For customers more likely to use public rapid chargers whilst travelling longer distances, the Q90 option is available with both trim levels. This charges the Zoe from 0-80 per cent full in just over an hour when using a 43kW charge point. The MY18 ZOE Q90 with Z.E.40 battery provides an estimated real-world range of 174 miles.
The Dynamique Nav offers a comprehensive specification, which combines comfort with convenience, safety and security. Standard features include Hands Free keycard, automatic lights and wipers, rear parking sensors, cruise control, climate control, 7-inch R-Link infotainment system with voice-controlled TomTom sat nav, electric windows and LED Daytime Running Lights. The top-of-the-range Signature Nav adds further luxury with features such as supple premium leather upholstery, Bose audio system, heated front seats, electrically folding door mirrors and a rear parking camera. Renault’s Range OptimiZer technology ensures Zoe is highly efficient with its heat pump, a bi-modal braking system and Michelin Energy E-V tyres.
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