Renault Zoe - Used buyer’s guide & review with Nicki Shields / Electrifying

Read our full review of the Used Renault Zoe here: www.electrifyi...
The new Renault Zoe is one of our favourite small electric cars, but you don't have to buy new if you don't want to as the first-generation car is still a good car.
Launched in 2013, the original Zoe still looks remarkable fresh and modern and can be a good alternative if your budget can't quite stretch to a brand new one.
Here Nicki explains what you should be looking out for, the different models and batteries available.
There's a more affordable route into BMW i3 ownership and that's by buying a used one.
Here's our full guide to used electric cars over on Electrifying.com:
www.electrifyi...
Thanks for joining us as the start of our journey to 'Clear the Air' around hybrid and electric cars, we have new videos arriving every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so please subscribe to the channel to find out more!
And if you like the videos check out Electrifying.com where you'll find the latest reviews, our EV Dictionary and the latest news about Formula E from Nicki Shields.
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[@CrazedCrittic]

Had two, both suffered "Charging Impossible" spent a lot of time at the dealers who were understaffed with non-knowledgeable technicians. Then plagued by "no spares in the UK, we are waiting for them from France". Not a bad car until it goes wrong.

[@eamo234]

Great review. Thanks for pointing out the different model options as it's tough to find this info and dealers won't bloody well tell you about them.

[@chargedup8491]

Excellent buyers guide. Really enjoying our ZOE, we bought it as a second car to my PHEV but we actually use it 95% of the time now. Pre-heating is awesome!

[@LiiMuRi]

I've been considering a used Zoe, but the extra complications just annoy me. I'd like to have the CCS charging option, but a lot of ads don't mention if the car has it or not. It makes it hard to compare options, unless you go and call every one of them.

[@peterbell7553]

You don't say what year you'r looking to buy but the CCS option was only introduced as an option on the ZE50.

[@markfifty7]

I've run a 22kwh Zoe for four years. Admittedly not as a number 1 car but its been brilliant for what it is. Only downside is a patchly main dealer understanding of EVs.

[@CrazedCrittic]

Totally agree there are not nearly enough competent service techs.

[@peterbell7553]

Battery Lease might seem expensive, but think about trying to sell a 8 to 10 year old Zoe, or rather buying one. Would you rather buy a car where the battery is replaced for free when it stops working (remember the car was cheaper to buy in the first place) or a car that you have to pay for the new battery when it degrades?

[@mbak7801]

Battery life for many cars is touching 20 years. Generally batteries last the life of the car.

[@marcelslofstra2157]

@@mbak7801what electric car is 20 years old? (None). Also, tell this to owners of a first gen Leaf.

[@NickwBush]

The only cheap EV which doesn't look hideous

[@robsmith1a]

I had a ZE40 for three years, had the I Model. If you drive a lot at night it is worth noting the headlights are very poor. I fitted upgraded bulbs but still not brilliant. Otherwise a good car .

[@DLoneRanger]

may i ask why some evs like this one have a blue and not green stripe on reg plate?

[@kjh789az]

Thanks for this pre-owned Zoe review. (See recent Carwow YT review of the driveable range of 8 models). In addition to the points made by Niki, the key issue when buying second hand is the battery degradation ie how much of the original battery capacity remains in active use? Unfortunately, its not easy to confirm this on a Zoe. So, when its fully charged the GOM will show 100% - not 100% of the original battery, but of what's still working. Basic rule of thumb= The older the car and higher the mileage, the greater the battery degradation and loss of capacity.

[@kjh789az]

@@radomir101 Thanks! I wasn't sure if the Zoe would take an OBD2 plugin, having read somewhere that it wouldn't.

[@22smoke]

@@kjh789az it's mandatory for every car sold in Europe to have an OBD2 adapter.

[@thelifeofbatteries2603]

@@22smoke not for electric cars

[@juliandavies7890]

I drive a 63 reg Zoe Expression and my battery state of health is still 97% so not necessarily so.. When fully charged do the two pedal reset and if you get 124 with the 22 Kwh ZOE then you have a virtually whole state of health.. Or use an OBD2 and Can Ze App.

[@juliandavies7890]

Great review, I still have my 63 reg Zoe and it's great.

[@svlagonda7417]

Good channel. Very informative.

[@whitewalker9622]

So what is a "Renault ZOE R210 88 hk Life A II"? And what happens to the range when it´s -30 Celsius?

[@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.

[@gustaf7966]

Thanks for a great video!

[@colinphillipson4830]

The ZE40 has a 41kWh battery not 40kWh as you stated all through your presentation. The new ZE50 has a 52kWh battery. The Renault warranty can be somewhat complicated due to now having 4 changes. From 1st Feb 2018 to 17 Dec 2019 they only have 3 years warranty and 4 year drivetrain.All prior to Feb 2018 did have 4 year and 5 year, not until the end of 2018.

[@MrRecombinant]

There are rapid charge versions of the 40kwh Zoe. They are rare and also you should check the log book because some cars are wrongly described on autotrader.

[@MrRecombinant]

This video is riddled with detail errors. The ze40 can't be charged to 80% in an hour. Ze40's are also available in small numbers with owned batteries. I have one myself.

[@budflanagan1262]

Good report, but the devil is in the detail! EV newbies would need to watch quite a few more videos to find out more information on the Zoe, including the benefits of battery lease, which weren’t mentioned, - ie basically, free breakdown cover if you get a puncture or run out of charge. My wife got a 2015 batt lease model in June; loves it, dirt cheap to run, loves all the extras that came with it including a reversing camera, - optional extra on later models - and no need to visit a petrol station ever again. She aims to keep it forever!

[@22smoke]

So if you pay over £50 a month for a battery lease then how the hell is it dirt cheap to run? It's just like a god damn ICE car. Where are your savings? Why would ever want something like that is beyond me.

[@Sto79Be]

@@22smoke If she’s bought it used then it’s not that expensive and probably a lot cheaper than a new(er) ICE car. And even at £50 battery rental per month then she could easily still be saving if she drives more miles per month than £50 diesel would get you. Not to mention the additional savings in not having to pay for separate breakdown cover, fewer and cheaper service costs, lower road tax and no charges for congestion and clean-air zones. So the Devil’s in the detail, but the savings are there.

[@cannygrowabeard]

Renault created an absolute minefield for second hand Zoe buyers. And disappointingly, they have done the same with the new ZE50.

[@hughmarcus1]

What’s the issue with the ZE50. I was seriously considering one. 😬

[@cannygrowabeard]

@@hughmarcus1 Renault made rapid charging an optional extra 😅 if you're looking at a used ZE50, get a rapid charging one (those which have a CCS port). A 50kWh battery will take a fair time to refill at 'fast charging', so having CCS gives that little bit more convenience on a longer journey to rapid charge.

[@hughmarcus1]

@@cannygrowabeard Thanks for that. I’d actually looked at a 40kwr one but the dealer is working on figures for a new one on PCP. There probably isn’t much difference in it & if that’s the case we might go for the new one.

[@timsmith5339]

The range difference between the 'Q' and 'R' motors isn't as much as you state. You have given the real world range for one and some fantasy figure that is not achievable for the other. The 'R' will still charge at 22kW though (vs 43kW for the 'Q') so it is still fairly fast.

[@timsmith5339]

I meant to add, Renault dealers don't seem to know most of this stuff (or they are trying to mislead people - we'll give them the benefit of the doubt though and say that they don't know the cars they are selling!) Look through adverts and you will find battery lease models sold as i models, some Zoe's are apparently rapid charge with an R110 motor!?! and I've even seen a ZE40 advertised as having a 22kWh battery. I think they may have been confusing the charging rate with the battery size here?!? It would be comical if they weren't meant to know this to explain it to their customers.

[@bikeman123]

What happens when a battery lease zoe is sold to a dealer, who pays the lease while the car awaits sale on the forecourt? Would this make trading in a zoe a problem?

[@robertl2856]

Now this seems complicated

[@davebaker8362]

My girlfriend lives 39 miles away I go on m25 takes an hour 9 mins I presume there and back is is on its limit Shame because they are a good price used and I could financially justify having one as a second car other than that

[@norwegianzound]

"Petrol car buffs will tell you this is a petrol pump"

[@johnshares]

Nissan leafs dont sell well Queensland, Australia , where temperatures, up to 45 c. Can I buy either an MgZs Ev, or Renault Zoe. As we have temperatures up to 40 c Perth Western Australia . do either of these cars have problems with over heating batteries , thanks John .

[@bernardcharlesworth9860]

Got 260 miles out of one driving to london

[@joaosousa6950]

Didn’t understand the rapid charge difference :( a 2020 model is good for fast ‘nornal EV’ charging?

[@mbak7801]

This is an old video looking at a very old car.

[@mamadouaziza2536]

Just buy a used BMW i3 or Nissan Leaf, both cars you own the battery and the prices are about the same as a used Zoe.

[@frankstocker5475]

Only the French can make something simple complicated.

[@n1ch0las51]

I bought a second hand 2013 Nissan leaf last year and it was a great purchase at £4.200 ultra cheap commuting

[@juliandavies7890]

Except that the LEAF does not have battery cooling so the battery degradation is faster.

[@n1ch0las51]

@@juliandavies7890 your point is?? Its a 10 year old car. Its done 80K its still looking sharp as a pin. Its just passed the MOT with no issues. The service is to check brakes, tires transfer box oil and to change the pollen filter which anybody with half a brain can achieve in an afternoon or less. I have 1 bar degredation but I get 50-60 miles REAL world range. I charge it mainly from my Solar panels so in effect I drive on sunshine. Its appreciated finantially and according to Autotrader prices is worth £6k now. A 10 year old Zoe has rented batteries as part of the deal so a continuous annualy outlay.

[@itsonlysound]

​@@juliandavies7890 I thought that was debunked as an issue in climates like the UK and Ireland?

[@bikeman123]

A guide to buying a used ev which doesnt explain how to check the battery state of health? How useful is that.

[@johnknight9150]

I've got a headache.

[@stanthemafia]

It’s rapid, just too basic for me

[@minniesaab7255]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@johnporter5828]

Yup. Sounds like a Renault....

[@MatteoTortello_com]

♻️🔋👏💪🔝❤️

[@ivarssausis6090]

Avoid at any cost! Worst quality, shocking customer service service and dealership .Avoid! Battery leasing is a shocking. In my case only with help from Ombudsman able to escape shocking charges even after car returned to dealership.

[@n7eet]

Nah...id rather get a used Up Gti over this.

[@n7eet]

Buying a used EV is like playing musical chairs.... Some one will be stuck with a dud battery.

[@eamo234]

A bit like ICE engines. Plenty of duds there. I've had a few myself.

[@keithdenton8386]

Well that's a no brainer then. Do not but a Zoe. They make it so confusing, You know what your getting with a Tesla new or used.

[@GeorgHaeder]

You should demand a refund, the car has its steering wheel on the wrong side. I'll show myself out.

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

In Australia a S/H Zoe costs the same as a new one. Yea, go figure.. Best thing about the Zoe is unlike most EVs is that it's affordable. Pity it's a bit gutless and heavy.

[@niklaswejedal463]

Excellent review - love the ZOE and this made me want one even more.

[@Mexxx65]

How does the Zoe, magically become so much more reliable than, Clio's and Megan's???

[@Chenesseau]

Because it's electric! :-)

[@maxnewts]

Firstly it’s electric, so the batteries and suchlike are guaranteed for 500,000 miles. Secondly, There’s only three moving parts. The motor, a few bearings on the prop-shaft, and the wheel hubs :-) that’s it

[@GlossaME]

Because your knowledge about cars is quite poor

[@Mexxx65]

I was talking about the "rest" of the cars quality, nothing directly relating to what should be its bulletproof "engine".