With the additional funding announcement by the government for increased infrastructure in electric charging points across the UK which we posted yesterday, Renault have released a press statement in support of the scheme.
Renault’s latest electric vehicle, the ZOE supermini, has gone on sale recently in the UK with its owners already enjoying the benefit of a free domestic charge point, supplied and installed by British Gas also courtesy of government funding.
Purchasers can also save up to £5,000 on the price of an electric car from the government’s Plug-In Grant (and up to £8,000 on an electric van). Renault ZOE answers the stigma that EVs can be expensive to buy with a starting price from just £13,995, after the grant, equivalent to the price of a high-end diesel supermini, and becomes yet another incentive to make the switch to electric and ‘Drive the change’.
Although Renault believes around 90% of electric vehicle charging will take place at owner’s homes, Renault’s electric vehicle customers will benefit from the additional peace of mind that the improved public infrastructure will provide.
Commenting on its latest initiative, Renault UK’s Ben Fletcher, Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said
“The two most common preconceptions of electric vehicles are an expensive purchase price and lack of public opportunity to charge. ZOE’s pricing puts the first point to rest, and this latest announcement, on top of the established highly developed network of public charging points, answers the second and allows customers to buy an EV with complete confidence”
Renault currently has the world’s largest range of electric vehicles on sale including the Kangoo Z.E., Fluence Z.E., Zoe Z.E. and Twizy microcar. Together with its alliance partner Nissan, the Renault-Nissan partnership has already sold over 100,000 EVs across the world.
ZOE, is Renaults flagship electric vehicle offering style, an affordable price and practicality which Renault claim to suit households who use a car for commuting, supermarket and school runs, or even driving moderate distances. ZOE’s official NEDC range is rated at 130 miles, which is a significant achievement for any EV at any price category. However, real-world range would be of around 90 miles in temperate conditions or 60 in cold weather which is still more than enough for the majority of day-to-day driving, yet may require extra charging from time to time and so the government announcement for infrastructure spending is a welcome and timely announcement.
