The UK’s leading low-emission car sharing club has reaffirmed the suitability of the all-electric Renault ZOE for its growing operation as its parent company, Europcar Mobility Group, orders a further 85 of the award-winning supermini.
E-Car Club has taken a number of units, supporting its expansion across the UK, from East London to St Andrews, Scotland. Through the innovative scheme, E-Car Club provides the public with a low-cost, hassle-free and environmentally friendly alternative to private car ownership and customers can hire a Renault ZOE from only £4.50 per hour, including power and insurance.
The majority of E-Car Club’s newly acquired, 40 kWh Renault ZOEs, will be used for a brand new scheme in North Solihull, which sees the popular EV available to members at nine locations throughout the region’s residential areas.
Local drivers can hire any of the new ZOEs, one of which has been wrapped in a distinctive ‘ECO Jungle’ livery, by simply signing up online. Completely self-service, bookings can be made via the E-Car Club website 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with customers gaining access to a ZOE simply by scanning their membership card against the windscreen. Drivers then unplug the ZOE from the onsite charger to experience all the benefits of all-electric motoring.
The rest of the Renault ZOEs will be used by Europcar to support its Deliver & Collect service in major UK cities. The use of the Renault ZOE works to significantly lower Europcar’s carbon footprint in these highly populated areas as well as reduce its operating costs.
The new order follows Europcar’s successful introduction of 55 Renault ZOEs for its Deliver & Collect logistics fleet in 2016, which at the time was the biggest ever UK order for the best-selling EV.
Europcar opted to extend its fleet of the 100 per cent electric, five-door supermini following feedback from both E-Car Club members and its own drivers. The ZOE has proved to be perfect for both its busy Deliver & Collect role and E-Car Club’s car sharing model, being immensely easy to drive and charge, spacious and boasting a very practical real-world range of up to 186 miles on a single charge. Notably, the reliability of the Renault ZOEs already on fleet also influenced Europcar’s purchasing decision.
All of the ZOEs have been supplied in Dynamique Nav trim. As standard, this includes hands-free keycard, automatic lights and wipers, rear parking sensors, cruise control, climate control, 7-inch R-Link infotainment system with voice-controlled sat nav, electric windows and LED Daytime Running Lights.
Power is provided by the R110 electric motor and the Z.E 40 battery. The usability of the Renault ZOE is further enhanced through its flexible charging options.
The multi award-winning ZOE is available with an easy choice of two motors – the R110 and Q90 – and can be specified in Dynamique Nav and Signature Nav level of trim. Equipped with the Q90 motor, the ZOE can be charged from zero to 80 per cent in one hour.
ZOE continues to be available to purchase in two ways. First, under a battery hire scheme, where ZOE pricing starts at £18,420 (OTR) after the Government Plug-in Car Grant, with battery leasing from £59 per month. In addition, Renault offers retail customers who purchase a ZOE, a free 7kW wall box charger fully-installed at their home to ensure the best possible electric experience.
Renault is the leader in EV sales in Europe – ZOE is one of Europe’s best-selling all-electric passenger cars and the Kangoo Van Z.E. is the best-selling electric LCV. The award-winning Renault Z.E. range consists of the ZOE hatchback, the Twizy – a fun, distinctive, urban runaround – and the Kangoo Van Z.E. – a commercial vehicle that is identical to a normal Kangoo Van but with all the advantages of an EV, including no tailpipe emissions. Renault is a pioneer of the electric vehicle market with more than 100,000 EVs sold worldwide to date and with over 5,000 EVs is the leading manufacturer in electric car sharing in Europe.
