Despite being one of the first mass-produced electric vehicles on the market, the Renault Zoe hasn’t quite convinced customers. That’s partly because the real-world driving range was too small – between 100 and 150 km (62-93 miles) in cold and mild weather, respectively.
Sure, Renault claimed the Zoe could do 210 km (130.5 miles) on a single charge in ideal conditions, but how often does that happen? The French carmaker now claims to have improved the range thanks to the launch of a new electric motor called R240, which is paired to a battery that has received an optimized electronic management system. As a result, the Zoe’s official driving range increases to 240 km (149 miles).
Designed by engineers from the Technocentre and the Cléon plant, the electric motor has the same output and peak torque as before – 65kW (88PS or 87hp) and 220Nm (162lb-ft). The motor also features a new Caméléon charging system which allows faster charging at home (3kW and 11kW).
As a result, charging times have been cut by 10 percent for a normal charge, which means that for each minute the battery is charged, users get an extra kilometer of range. The Renault Zoe can still be charged at 22kW at fast charging points.
Finally, the new motor is also 10 percent smaller in size, allowing Renault to fit it to smaller cars as well.
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