Renault Zoe: How much does it cost to charge the electric city car?

Once the queen of electric cars, the Renault Zoe remains a reliable choice in the market, whether new or used. But what is the cost of charging it?

The Renault Zoe is in some ways the model that made the idea of an electric car popular among the French. Launched in 2012, this small French car is manufactured in Flins and faced few competitors at the time, apart from the Nissan Leaf, and the trio Citroën C-Zero/Mitsubishi i-Miev/Peugeot iOn.

Not free from reliability issues at the start, and with very limited range in its early versions (see our used Renault Zoe report), the 100% electric French car made significant progress after its major facelift in 2019, where it completely revamped its interior and especially its mechanical architecture.

In 2022, the Renault Zoe ranked 7th in the best-seller list of electric cars, with 12,180 units sold. The range features a single body style, but two electric motors are available: R110 and R135, with only one battery capacity: 52 kWh.

As of the time of writing, the range is configured as follows:

• Balance trim: starting at €35,100 with R110 motorization

• Evolution trim: starting at €36,300 with R110 motorization

• Iconic trim: starting at €38,300 with R135 motorization

Note that all versions are eligible for the €5,000 bonus.

Range and Consumption of the Renault Zoe R110

Charging Time for the Renault Zoe

Home Charging

Fast Charging at Ionity Station

Cost Comparison of a Full Tank of Super 95-E10 on a Renault Clio

For this section, we wanted to compare the cost of gasoline per 100 km of a Renault Clio TCe 90 in 2023, against the cost of electricity per 100 km for a Renault Zoe. Renault reports a combined cycle consumption of 5.2 liters of Super 95 per 100 km, but real-life figures suggest a good 6.3 liters per 100 km. At €1.895 per liter of SP 95-E10, it costs approximately €11.93 to travel 100 km in a Renault Clio TCe, and €79.59 for a full tank. In terms of range, the Renault Zoe can travel about 290 km on a full charge (winter), compared to approximately 670 km for the Renault Clio TCe.

Summary: Renault Zoe R110 versus Renault Clio TCe 90

With its large 52 kWh battery, the Renault Zoe has a relatively high charging cost among compact electric cars—particularly when relying on Ionity fast chargers, which are fairly expensive when charging on stations offering over 50 kWh. At home, the Renault Zoe remains quite economical, but it cannot compete with a Renault Clio TCe 90, priced at nearly €10,000 less in the catalog (starting at €20,400 in balance trim).

Read also: Tesla Model Y: How much does charging the electric SUV cost?