Renault has revealed its new R110 electric motor and the 2018 model-year ZOE, Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle, which will be the first Renault EV to feature this 80kW powerplant which combines extra power with even greater driving enjoyment.
Despite being the same size as the R90, the R110 is 12kW (16hp) more powerful than its predecessor. Drivers will benefit from crisper acceleration performance on trunk roads, since the new motor shaves almost two seconds off ZOE’s 80-to-120kph time. This is a significant improvement which provides even greater peace of mind at higher speeds.
At lower speeds, meanwhile, the R110 packs the same punch as the R90 from which it is derived thanks to the instant availability of peak torque of 225Nm, making ZOE as nimble as ever in urban areas.
The new R110 motor is the latest fruit of Renault’s electric motor development and production strategy and further evidence of the expertise in this field of Europe’s number one electric vehicle manufacturer. The all-Renault R110 – an evolution of the R90, developed in just two years – is made in France at the make’s Cléon plant in Normandy and was designed by engineers working out of the Renault Technocentre, southwest of Paris, as well as in Cléon. In addition to carrying over the R90’s outstanding energy efficiency, the R110 packs a combination of electrical machine- and power electronics-related innovations that have yielded an extra 12kW with no increase in either weight or volume.
The introduction of the R110 takes the number of variants of the Renault motor available for Kangoo Z.E., Master Z.E., ZOE and Daimler’s Electric Drive Smart to five (44kW, 57 kW, 60 kW, 68 kW and 80 kW).
The new R110 motor will be certified in accordance with the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) which has been gradually rolled out in Europe since September 1, 2017, to replace NEDC certification. The new, more severe procedure is intended to mirror real-word vehicle use more accurately and, in the case of electric vehicles, measures driving range, expressed in kilometres.
The new WLTP cycle, which involves dynamometer testing, is longer and involves a higher number of phases. Speeds are also higher and acceleration is harder. Certified ranges are consequently lower and more in-line with real-world figures. The new procedure does not alter ZOE’s real-word range which stands at 300 kilometres (186 miles) in urban and peri-urban areas.
WLTP certification of the R110 motor is in progress. Early estimations based on the new WLTP protocol (approximately 300km) support the real-world range figure.
In 2017, ZOE was Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle for the third year running. More than one electric vehicle in two sold in France in 2017 was a ZOE. A total of almost 100,000 ZOEs have been made at Renault’s Flins plant in France and sold across the world. ZOE sales in 2017 marked a 44% increase over 2016.
