Renault Zoe to be world’s best-selling EV

The Renault Zoe will become the world’s best selling electric car, Renault Head of Global Marketing Stephen Norman has stated at the Geneva Motor Show.

Geneva Motor Show 2012

The Zoe will achieve its global sales leadership through a combination of highly competitive pricing, greater than average driving range and design that demonstrates a further manifestation of Renault’s new brand identity.

Renault is already Europe’s leading electric car maker, with more than 5,000 Renault Z.E electric models sold. The Zoe will increase its proposition by a significant order of magnitude.

“Sales will be measured in tens of thousands of cars,” said Norman. “Half of these will be in France but the UK will be a major market for Zoe too.”

The Zoe, which has a driving range of over 130 miles, launches in the UK later in 2012, with a headline-grabbing list price of £13,650, once the Government’s £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant has been factored in.

This is at least £12,000 cheaper than models such as the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and has been achieved because Renault leases the batteries rather than sells them with the car. Battery lease costs £70 a month.

Norman defended this strategy by saying “it halves the list price of the car.

“You can’t expect the customer to pay the price of the battery… you can’t sell a Clio-sized electric car for twice the price of a regular Clio.” Customers, he added, will appreciate the battery lease programme because “who wants to own a battery?

“Nobody wants a reservoir of petrol in their back garden. The same applies to batteries – rental makes more sent than outright purchase.”