Anyone test drive \ bought the Renault Zoe?

[BolshieBastard]

I tend to think electric cars are wank (can you say that in Technical!?) as they are bliddy expensive to buy and have poor range (about 100 and a few more miles). Then you have no re sale value as no second buyer is going to take a chance on the battery pack being u.s.

Thing with the Zoe though, is, the batteries are 'hired' as an additional cost.

Now, that might make you think its even more expensive to buy the car but, to hire the batteries over a 3 year period for an annual mileage of 7500 is only £70 a month. You'd likely spend 70 quid a month on unleaded or diesel driving those 7500 miles pa so, the cost is potentially or near neutral. Obviously you have to factor in the cost to recharge the batteries but I cant see than being too much.

Additionally, Renault will install free of charge a dedicated charge point at your gaff. Not just a new 13amp plug socket but a proper charging point which I gather costs about 700 quid normally.

The missus drives around in a zafira (I know!) that costs 270 quid a year to tax. It drinks fuel around town. She never drives more than 40 mile a day. Just need to convince her it suits her down to the ground!

So, I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had a test drive or bought a Renault Zoe. What are the real ownership facts and everyday use like?

[eek]

its a lot of money for what it is.

Granted there is no road tax but its still £840 a year for batteries.

A diesel supermini would probably have the same road tax (or very little more), cost the same a month to fuel and have a far more reliable resell value.

[VectraMan]

If the point is to save money, then spending the same as you would on fuel on hiring batteries seems rather ridiculous.

How does a proper charge point differ from a 3 pin plug? I guess it could give you the full 30A of the ring rather than 13A.

The real killer for electric cars is not the cost, the range, or even the availability of charge points. It's the recharge time. If they ever become popular expect to see lots of them on the back of AA trucks.

[Spacecadet]

What electric cars really need is easily replaceable batteries so you can roll into a service station pay for a charged set and get them replaced in <5 minutes preferably by some sort of automated machine.

[kingcook]

I'm waiting for cars to have their own personal on-board nuclear reactor for power.

Something like the USS California (CGN-36)

[Alias]

I'm waiting for cars to have their own personal on-board nuclear reactor for power.

Something like the USS California (CGN-36)

sounds like the DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future?

[VectraMan]

What electric cars really need is easily replaceable batteries so you can roll into a service station pay for a charged set and get them replaced in <5 minutes preferably by some sort of automated machine.

The battery in the Zoe is 290Kg, so it'd need to be some automated machine.

Nuclear power would be . You'd have a car that would essentially work forever, with no need to recharge or refill anything.

[Spacecadet]

The battery in the Zoe is 290Kg, so it'd need to be some automated machine.

You could have 5 ~60kg batteries instead

[Spacecadet]

Nuclear power would be . You'd have a car that would essentially work forever, with no need to recharge or refill anything.

Not going to happen for a while

In the meantime just stuff one of these in to the car:
Rhyas Petrol Generator 1500w: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

[kingcook]

Not going to happen for a while

In the meantime just stuff one of these in to the car:
Rhyas Petrol Generator 1500w: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Was I the only one to get excited then, thinking this was some device that could generate petrol?