Dossier: Buying a Used Renault ZOE

With over a decade of experience with battery-powered vehicles, the used electric car market is now offering a wide selection of models. Let’s focus on the star of the category: the Renault ZOE.

Produced since 2012 (the first generation was sold until 2019), the Renault ZOE has long topped the sales charts of electric cars. Regularly in the TOP 30 across all models, the ZOE “1” was sold on average at 15,000 units per year in France. This provides a wide range of options on specialized listing sites where good-condition examples with reasonable mileage are offered.

Modest Range for Early Models

For this overview, we chose to focus especially on one of the earliest produced units, configured with Q210 with 88 hp and a small 22 kWh battery. At launch, Renault announced a mixed-cycle range of approximately 171 km according to the old NEDC standards. In practice, our test owner, Yassine T., estimates it at around 140 km in ECO mode, and only 100 km in NORMAL mode. Therefore, it is challenging to venture far from cities with this version. The charging capacity is 43 kW for this model, theoretically enabling about 60% autonomy recovery (from 20% to 80%) in about 40 minutes.

Initial Reliability Challenges

In terms of reliability, early days were not straightforward for this electric city car. The main issue faced by users was the inability for some units to recharge. The culprit was often the BTR connection box charger, which frequently failed and cost around €3000 to replace. The good news is that most failures were covered by Renault, and today, all circulating units are considered reliable.

Also, watch out for the parking brake, the multimedia screen which can malfunction, and the rattling noises often found in high-mileage models.

Reasonable Price

As an electric city car, models with less than 10,000 km/year are common. While early prices start around €6,500 for the 2013-2014 models, expect to pay around €9,000 for a 2015-2016 model with approximately 70,000 km, offering more reliable performance.

Eligible for Government Incentives

On top of this base price, there is the battery leasing option. Until spring 2018, the Renault ZOE required this leasing system. When the vehicle is sold to a new owner, the lease contract changes to the new purchaser’s name. Financially, anticipate a leasing cost of €59/month for a 7500 km/year contract. There is also an option to buy a second-hand battery for about €3,000 (compared to around €7,000 for a new battery). Importantly, battery replacement is only necessary if capacity drops below 75%, which provides peace of mind in terms of reliability and range! Some companies, like the start-up Moba, can assess any electric vehicle’s battery health in just 3 minutes. Lastly, maintenance of the Renault ZOE is quite affordable — only around €100 for a standard service.

Another important detail is the possibility of receiving government aid. The first is a bonus of €1000, available until December 31, 2022. Certain conditions apply: you must reside in France and commit to buying or leasing the car for at least two years. Additionally, the vehicle must have been registered for more than two years.

Conversion Bonus for Modest Households

Electric cars like the Renault ZOE are also eligible for the conversion bonus. The eligibility criteria are much stricter. To receive the maximum €5000 (stackable with the eco bonus), your fiscal income per household share must be less than or equal to €6300. For frequent drivers (more than 12,000 km per year professionally or over 30 km daily commute), the income threshold is €13,489. This bonus drops to €2500 for households with a fiscal income per share above €6300. You must also own a car that has to be scrapped and that you have owned for at least a year. The car must have a Crit’Air sticker of 3, 4, 5, or be unclassified. If all conditions are met, the purchase price could be almost halved. Pretty clever!

SUMMARY

Buying a used Renault ZOE is enticing, and the modest price of some beautiful examples may encourage you to take the plunge. However, be sure to factor in the costs of buying or leasing the battery for units produced up to 2018. Finally, favor models manufactured from 2015 onward, which are more reliable.