Renault Zoe review (2024): Best electric family car? | TotallyEV

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Read the Renault Zoe review on our website: totallyev.net/renault-zoe-review-best-electric-family-car/
Review of the Renault Zoe's audio system: totallyev.net/renault-zoe-audio-review/
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Video timestamps:
Intro & price: 00:00
Exterior design: 00:32
Interior design & tech: 01:19
Audio system & controls: 02:14
Practicality: 03:12
Seat comfort, legroom & headroom: 03:49
Storage space: 04:45
Cabin noise & suspension: 05:34
Steering wheel: 06:32
Performance: 07:00
Driving range & charging: 08:11
Safety systems: 10:37
Verdict: 11:30
#Renault
#RenaultZoe
#FamilyCar
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[@TotallyEV]

Find the best Renault Zoe deals: locally.link/oYEQ Read the Renault Zoe review on our website: totallyev.net/renault-zoe-review-2020-best-electric-family-car/ Review of the Renault Zoe's audio system: totallyev.net/renault-zoe-audio-review/ Video timestamps: Intro & price: 00:00 Exterior design: 00:32 Interior design & tech: 01:19 Audio system & controls: 02:14 Practicality: 03:12 Seat comfort, legroom & headroom: 03:49 Storage space: 04:45 Cabin noise & suspension: 05:34 Steering wheel: 06:32 Performance: 07:00 Driving range & charging: 08:11 Safety systems: 10:37 Verdict: 11:30

[@JohnDunkley]

B mode once selected is always on when you get into the car, once set.

[@devonbikefilms]

Good review, and of course the running costs are tiny compared to any conventional car. May I suggest you look at the MG5 estate. The dealers are selling them at £22500 at the moment, regardless of the £28,000 list price and they look like a good and affordable option at that price. It would be interesting to hear what you think. And at that price the payback time is much shorter when you consider the running costs. Anyway, you’ve got a new subscriber.

[@TotallyEV]

Thanks for subscribing, Brian, we appreciate it. Absolutely, the MG5 Estate is already pencilled in for review. Looking forward to seeing how it compares to the MG ZS EV, which we previously reviewed - it looks good on paper. However, due to the number of vehicles we have coming in, the review will have to wait till February 2021. Yes, we're that busy!

[@tommyjakobsen5504]

Except this version has a massiv safty issue.. 0 star in ncap safty test. Not good as the old model.

[@TotallyEV]

Yup, the updated safety rating came out long after the review. Crazy!

[@MartyLuton]

Nice video. Minor correction: It is CCS not CSS. CCS=Combined Charging System. CSS=Cascading Style Sheet.

[@TotallyEV]

Haha! Good spot. That's the problem when you're a car enthusiast, but also a tech geek. Glad you liked the video!

[@SustainableGal]

Great review, but I cant help but comment on the fact its 'CCS' not 'CSS'

[@TotallyEV]

Thanks, glad you liked the video! As for CCS/CSS, yes was a silly mistake haha!

[@baz1289]

Good review. After 2 years of experience of my Zoe I do not agree with the criticism of steering, mine feels very responsive at town speeds and on the motorway it tightens up very well, in fact altogether remarkably good on the Mway The regeneration mode selected does not change on shutdown, whatever selected returns when turning on. Car Wow group absolute range test showed how much superior Zoe was against all rivals. Renault’s air bag major error was a shot in the foot, but does not give me sleepness nights.

[@TotallyEV]

Glad you enjoyed the review and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@alanhowemusic2457]

The problem I am seeing in the second hand car market at the moment is that in general all EV cars doesn’t matter what manufacturer the residual money is very similar to internal combustion engine cars. This is crazy as the EV car mechanics are far more simpler and much less moving parts to fail. If I’m paying £30,000 for a brand new EV car after three years of use at say 10,000 miles a year I would expect at least to recoup 75% of the original on the road price of an EV, but this is just not the case. The second hand car market is treating the EV cars in depreciation the same as an internal combustion Engine cars. There needs to be two different depreciation bands, one for EV cars and one for Internal Combustion Engine cars otherwise people will still opt for internal combustion engine cars with a far better specification and trim level at point of sale.

[@TotallyEV]

Good point you make there; presuming it's because people are afraid/don't know much about battery degradation.

[@pushbikeman]

A very good review indeed with an excellent presenter as for the Zoe I really like it but how does a 200-mile range get me to my holiday home in Cornwell 715 miles from base camp? So I guess I am staying with petrol power for the considerable future.

[@TotallyEV]

Thank you, glad you liked the review! As for your travels, unfortunately most EVs won't be able to do that - but we suspect you'll likely be taking a break at multiple intervals; that's where you'd be able to charge and get back some extra range.

[@pushbikeman]

I take your point but there better not be a long queue to recharge and, now I need three hotel sleepovers.

[@TotallyEV]

@@pushbikeman haha, wouldn't be the case with a rapid charger.

[@subratasadhukhan7471]

This car should be launched in India at the earliest....

[@seltaeb9691]

Yeah like the average Indian can afford that.

[@alanhowemusic2457]

Not so worried. about the range but the price is staggering a whopping £30,000 for this size car and there is another £1,000 if you want the CCS charging facility added to the Zoe price. CCS is standard on all Ev cars these days. Come on Renault your just trying to make as much money as possible on this car and trading on the improved battery range.

[@TotallyEV]

Thanks for sharing Alan!

[@Brian-om2hh]

The Zoe is costly for what it is, but it's certainly worth consideration at their current offer of £199 per month on a PCP. The running costs will be miniscule compared to even similarly sized i.c. cars. One of the major energy suppliers (I can't recall which one) has just introduced a new EV tariff at 4.5p per kwh, which for a car like the Zoe means your electricity cost per mile could be around 1.5p or less. And when you consider what's going to happen from tomorrow in Birmingham city centre (with Leeds and other cities to follow soon), EV's appear to be the way forward....

[@kjelllindberg6987]

It has some stupid flaws that any potential buyer should know about. And the biggest stupidity is that it could be fixed with firmware, but Renault just does not care. If you live in a warm climate (never below 7 degrees C) these complaints/issues do not apply to you. When it is cold, you can not control the traction battery heating. So if being on a journey when it is below -5C your maximum charging speed is 7kW even at 20% SoC. To get full charging speed the traction battery needs to be above +7C. The heating of the cabin can not be controlled during charging. A workaround exists, heating can be turned on thru the app. But the temperature will still be drop to about 10C if it is below -10C outside. The heating/cooling thru the app is limited to 10min, no matter what, but it can be repeated every 10min manually... So it is not sufficient in low temperatures as it will not heat up the cabin or the traction battery enough when it is below +5C in 10min. The supplied single-phase 230V cable is strict 10A only and has no adjustments neither in the charging cable nor in the car settings, it is always maximum charge speed and always to 100% SoC.

[@TotallyEV]

These are great points; thanks for the insightful knowledge.

[@fredllamedos7108]

The supplied cable on All ze50's is a 3 phase type 2

[@kjelllindberg6987]

@@fredllamedos7108 I got one of those also of course, but we in the nordic market also get the stupid 10A/230V single phase cable "for free" and that cable is substandard (Renault states that as a 480€ bonus add-on, but if you try to avoid it the price will only be reduced with 40-50€). But still, the worst stupidity is that you can not from the car limit the charging speed nor the maximum SoC level or the preheating of the battery pack prior to charging. The supplied mode3, type2 cable is 7 meters long, I have a 22kW 3 meters cable in the car instead, much more convenient to handle. So far I have never been to a place where it is not sufficient with 3 meters and that is way more convenient in the trunk (even 2 meters would work just fine on trips thanks to the front-mounted power intake). At home, I have an original Mennekes blu cable, much higher quality than the Renault-supplied cable.

[@goatlps]

“Best buy - 8/10!” Erm...It scored 0/5 for safety (NCAP - never heard of that?).

[@TotallyEV]

That was conducted after the review. Ever heard of that?

[@goatlps]

@@TotallyEV ever heard of editing your website review, which brought me here? Or editing this video's title? Also, the review car still had no head airbags or AEB, so you have no concept of their importance. You're leaving up your 8/10 recommendation of a deathtrap. Clown.

[@stevesinclair1791]

Most recent Euro NCAP safety tests gave the Zoe EV very poor rating .

[@TotallyEV]

Indeed, quite odd that it scored that badly, especially when you look at the tests!

[@goatlps]

@@TotallyEV 2019 update removed head airbags, so low speed crashes can kill you more efficiently. Also no auto-breaking - you can crash into stationary vehicles (which is a standard feature nowadays).

[@Profimaulwurf48]

Yes, I think also, that the Zoe is a wonderful car. I have them also. 52/135 Blueberry CCS ..... only, the Charging speed is not good. 44 kw netto and that only till 50 % that is not good, the BMW i3 hold this 44 kw till 90 % Renault urgent has to do a software update for that. But nobody of Renault knows, that they build with the Zoe an electric car. Also the Navigation .... all for a fossil car, thats not good

[@TotallyEV]

Thanks for sharing

[@texanplayer7651]

A software update won't fix the hardware problem... If all they needed was an update it would have been done long ago.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

good range for a tiny car!

[@TotallyEV]

Indeed!

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@captain pugwash what the cat is a Dacia Sandero? a chinese import ?

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@captain pugwash are you talking about this car? www.autoexpress.co.uk/dacia/109132/new-2021-dacia-spring-revealed-europes-cheapest-electric-car

[@unclefurbiesvoice9902]

They should release a smaller portable battery's for those unable to do a plug-in charge. Range is irrelevant, even a 30 mile radius would be surely better than petrol crap. Force them to accept better tech.

[@TotallyEV]

Mhmm

[@unclefurbiesvoice9902]

What Mhmm ? You want to increase global warming and crappy petrol tech?

[@goatlps]

LOL are you going to carry this spare battery in your pocket? LOL Understand the car's range and take this "30 mile radius" off yourself?

[@unclefurbiesvoice9902]

@@goatlps @goatlps I'm sure they could build a small-range battery light enough for some people to carry upstairs e.g. 60-70kg with handles, or 120kg+ for a couple. That is suitable for anyone. And if you can't carry it = tough crap. That would remove a lot of the fat people who shouldn't be driving in the first place. People who use bikes have been carrying them for years. Why should driving be so easy?

[@Hasretaydin1999]

Love this vehicle just ordered❤❤❤

[@TotallyEV]

Enjoy!

[@John64125]

I don’t enjoy the Zoe and glad ours is on a three year lease. Seats are too high and uncomfortable, handles poorly and some of the interior switchgear is poorly laid out. The range is nowhere near 240 miles, about 180 is more real. I think it’s outdated, there are better cars nowadays. Won’t be getting another.

[@TotallyEV]

Sorry to hear that, but thanks for sharing!

[@Tom.c1967]

The Zoe £31000 and 180 miles on a full charge. No thanks I’ll stick to petrol

[@gunnarsandberg8132]

Mini Cooper=YES, Kia Soul=YES , BMW I3=YES, VW ID3=YES , Zoe=NO!! ==> 0 point in CRASH-TEST Euro NCAP!! And boring design!

[@TotallyEV]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@discoverkenya]

No, not on crash test. Tech category and lost points on removing an airbag on B pillar. Also rule change from NCAP means you can’t get an overall score more than your lowest score in ANY category. Which means, zero for the Zoe.