By far the most popular and best-selling subcompact hatchback plug-in car in Europe is Renault Zoe. It is now in its 5th year, and it has received a new feature that makes it even more attractive than ever.
In its 5th year, Renault saw fit that its plug-in gold goose should get a better and bigger battery pack if they want to attract even more buyers. That is just what happened. 2017 Renault Zoe was shown on Paris Motor show with one significant update, and that is an increase in its battery capacity. Zoe now has 41 kilowatt-hour battery pack which is almost double than the previous model which hosted 22 kilowatt-hour battery pack. This also means that it has increased the range as well, that in numbers look like this – 300 to 400 kilometers (185 to 250 miles) on the European test cycle.
As I already mentioned that is double the mileage that first Zoe, launched in 2012, could make, and even Renault is claiming that this is the highest range of any mass-market electric car sold in Europe. According to Renault “The new battery removes the final psychological barrier that stands in the way of buying an electric car since Zoe users can now travel further and enjoy a wider variety of driving situations without worry about charging,” and they added that “This makes weekend trips a real possibility.”
Renault made all of this possible by using battery cells from Korean company LG Chem which are, by the way, same in dimensions like previous ones, so the car didn’t need to be restyled to fit the new battery pack. Now, it is also important to say that the Renault isn’t going to ditch the smaller battery pack completely, it is still going to be used in 2017 Renault Zoe but only in a base version of the car. Bigger battery and the upgraded interior trims, two new paint colors, 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels and electric folding door mirrors will be a part of the top trim of the car.
2017 Renault Zoe will also enhance its smartphone app with door-to-door navigation while retaining its remote charging function and other options. Reports say that it should be available sometime during the first half of next year.
