£13,650 for Renault Zoe EV

Renault has announced pricing and specification details for its all-electric Zoe supermini – and impressively, the zero emissions vehicle will kick off at just £13,650 in the UK after the government’s Plug-in Car Grant deduction.

Potential buyers should note there’s an extra cost on top of the purchase price, however… unlike most electric vehicles, where the batteries are included in the sticker cost, Renault’s EV philosophy involves monthly battery RENTAL instead.

On Bing: see images of the Renault Zoe

Renault Zoe to be world’s best-selling EV

That means you’ll have to pay a minimum of £70 per month to actually get the small, sleek Renault rolling.

That figure is based on a “36 months and more” contract length, with up to 7,500 miles covered per year. You can spend as much as £93 per month – equating to an extra £1,116 outlay per year – for a contract of the same length allowing up to 12,000 miles per annum.

The ZE Zoe is available in three trim levels: Expression, Dynamique Zen and Dynamique Intens.

The entry-level Expression model gets a strong level of equipment fitted as standard, including Renault’s R-Link voice-controlled sat-nav, climate and cruise control and Bluetooth.

Dynamique Zen and Dynamique Intens models – both costing £14,750 – add 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, a rear camera and parking sensors fitted as standard.

All three Zoe variants use the same 88hp electric motor, giving a top speed limited to 84mph.

Officially, the Zoe’s maximum range is 130 miles on a full charge, although Renault admits that in “temperate” conditions – read normal driving – a 90-mile range is more realistic, dropping to 60 miles in cold weather.

The Zoe gets the firm’s new ‘Chameleon charger’ – a system that is compatible with all power inputs up to 43kW. That means charging can take anywhere between 30 minutes and nine hours, depending on the rating of your electricity supply.

The car is the first electric Renault to be fitted with a ‘Range OptimiZEr’. This consists of a new regenerative braking system, a heat pump and special Michelin Energy E-V tyres to help improve efficiency.

It’s also the first Renault to get the French manufacturer’s R-Link system. The technology is also coming to the new Clio soon and will be able to play different engine sounds through the car’s speakers.

Just so pedestrians can here you coming too, the Zoe gets ‘Z.E. Voice’. Active between one and 18mph, it’s an alarm that warns pavement dwellers the car is approaching.

The Zoe is available to reserve now with a £49 deposit ahead of its showroom debut in spring 2013.

On Bing: see images of the Renault Zoe

Renault Zoe to be world’s best-selling EV

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