Used Renault Zoe-can a case be made to buy one?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Activity is a bit slow on the FCF recently Gibbo, any updates on your electric experiences

Have you had a trip to Cirencester in it yet You did mention your regular trips there which may have involved a bit of faffing about charging en-route with a Leaf which put you off a bit from giving electric a try. For me its just part of normal activity charging en-route on a longer day out like our trip up to Dunbar on Wednesday, and it fits in with stopping off and visiting different places anyway, not as if its compulsory to sit in your car bored for half an hour.

Found time to do some photos.

Regards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

I haven't yet Neil the lady who I usually take has been frightened off by the pandemic, her daughter caters for an old people's residence and needs to keep well clear of the dangers.
I've used it to pretty well it's stated mileage range around here and on trips to Gloucester and Hereford and I've still got the diesel C5 if I need to do a long journey but that hasn't happened.
The C5 is sitting unused most of the time, maybe time to sell it on I think, shame really because it all up together and running fine.

[Mandrake]

I haven't yet Neil the lady who I usually take has been frightened off by the pandemic, her daughter caters for an old people's residence and needs to keep well clear of the dangers.
I've used it to pretty well it's stated mileage range around here and on trips to Gloucester and Hereford and I've still got the diesel C5 if I need to do a long journey but that hasn't happened.
The C5 is sitting unused most of the time, maybe time to sell it on I think, shame really because it all up together and running fine.

I know that feeling. Although my Xantia needs a heater matrix (aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!) and is starting to get quite rusty in places it still drives and rides like a dream, yet due to the Leaf being the daily driver and petrol being so damn expensive now (especially for a thirsty V6) I hardly ever get to drive it... its main duty over the last year has been trips to the rubbish dump and/or Ikea/B&Q due to its superior rear seat down load carrying capacity!

But I simply couldn't afford to run a Xantia V6 as a daily driver, it would run us broke, not to mention the miles that would put on it (around 13k a year) would finish the car off in a couple of years as it's already at about 90k miles so getting dangerously close to "gearbox dropping its guts" mileage, which is around 100-120k miles on a 4HP20!

So while I hardly get to drive it I suppose the low mileage has at least preserved the car for many more years than it would have lasted doing a high mileage.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Could I go further off-topic.

Not a Used Renault Zoe of course, but the RAC have made a case for buying the new Renault Zoe Van

Story from Fleet News here
https://www.commercialfleet.org/news/va ... patrol-van

Regards Neil

[Mandrake]

It seems like the RAC have a different definition of a "Van" than most people it seems ? That looks like a standard Zoe Hatchback which is a relatively small car let alone a van ??

[Gibbo2286]

Toll roads would see it as a van where the prices differ, the Severn Bridge before the tolls were abolished would chase you through the courts if you drove that through and only paid the car toll.
Happened to me with a car derived van.

[Mandrake]

Presumably the Zoe in the story is the new 50kWh model, the article talks a lot about range requirements for RAC vehicles and then goes on to say:

The RAC deals with around 7,000 random events every day meaning a 200-plus mile range was a critical requirement. The Zoe is capable of covering up to 245 miles between charges.

Unfortunately it seems that the RAC drank the WLTP cool aid! Realistic range is more like 195 miles max at higher speeds. EV database which is usually pretty on the money about real world range has this to say about the ZE50:

https://ev-database.uk/car/1164/Renault-Zoe-ZE50-R110

Battery and Charging

The battery of the Renault Zoe ZE50 R110 has an estimated total capacity of 54.7 kWh. The usable capacity is 52 kWh. A range of about 195 miles is achievable on a fully charged battery. The actual range will however depend on several factors including climate, terrain, use of climate control systems and driving style.

For example: sustaining high speeds in cold weather could result in a range of around 135 mi. However, driving at low speeds in mild weather will increase the range to around 295 mi.

Anyway, we'll see how it works out for the RAC, and hope that they don't learn the hard way, like everyone else, that WLTP range estimates for EV's are "a tad" on the optimistic side...

[NewcastleFalcon]

SSE running a few of them too...

https://business.renault.co.uk/business ... fleet.html

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Encouraging for Forum Renault Zoe owners!

I picked up on this comment from Robert Llewellyn reviewing this car here

https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 47#p711747

I quote

There is a Renault Zoe on the road now that has done a million kilometres on its original battery pack and motor

From the horse's mouth

https://youtu.be/sI_MzL3HIa0

REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

You can get a red one
My first ever spot of one in that colour!

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Filled my car at home 20% to 90% total cost £4.68.............and I didn't have to leave home.
Off today for a service and MOT at the Renault dealer, not something I've done in the last several decades except for the timing belt deal on the C5.

Time to melt down some of your krugerrands then!

Got back to collect it and the receptionist says "I've been trying to ring you, it's failed on drop links........they're £94 each ." , reading the fail notice it says " Anti roll bar link dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt N/ S front."
Same for the O/S.
So it's just the boots. Didn't know that was a fail.
I've got a pair of links on the shelf so it's back soon for a free retest.

I've ported that across from the Fuel Price thread Gibbo. Any little bits of info on the Zoe I'm interested in. Other than the normal wear out stuff like brakes and tyres which If I dont fancy doing myself can get done anywhere, I have no intention of ever stepping into a Nissan dealership for a "Service".

I guess that's where the lease ties you in. What did they do for the Service? and what did they charge you?

Regards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

Not sure if I'm tied in Neil but I wanted the main dealer to do this service and MOT, first one its had since I bought it, really just to find out the score.
The service was £66.74 and the MOT £54.00 and £20.75 for a pollen filter so with the VAT total was £159.00 Free retest when I've sorted the drop links "Just pop it in no need for an appointment."
I don't know what the service involved it's one of those places where you only see the receptionist, could just hide it round the back for a couple of hours for all anyone would know.

[NewcastleFalcon]

They must make all their profit doing drop links at £188 a pair. They cant do much for £54 at a main dealer on a service, that will be less than half an hour labour on the invoice, and about 5 minutes actual labour checking the washer bottle is topped up.

I think the lease thing in practice is purely financial transaction, you would think that you would be required to get an annual state of health battery report seeing as it is that falling below a particular level which triggers the "replacement" in theory.

REgards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

I think they do a state of the battery check Neil, I saw on the last invoice it mentioned only one percent down on the new state, so at 8 years old not bad.

[NewcastleFalcon]

I did post this up Gibbo, where the outstanding longevity of at least one Zoe was referenced by Robert LLewellyn.
But a rechargeable lithium ion battery however gently it is treated and recharged, over 8 years and many discharge/recharge cycles will lose more than 1% of its original SOH. Can't see how that SOH test was correct unless Renault have found the secret to lithium ion battery degradation that no-one else has.

Encouraging for Forum Renault Zoe owners!

I picked up on this comment from Robert Llewellyn reviewing this car here

https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 47#p711747

I quote

There is a Renault Zoe on the road now that has done a million kilometres on its original battery pack and motor

From the horse's mouth


REgards Neil