Renault Zoe 2018 confirmed for Australian private buyers

Renault’s all-electric Zoe will at last be offered to private customers in Australia, about six months after it went on sale for fleet buyers and more than five years after it was offered internationally.

But it’s a case of better late than never for the French brand’s Zoe, which will now be sold through the four dealerships across Australia that form Renault’s Electric Vehicle Network. A single dealership in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth will each offer the zero-emissions hatch.

Pricing will start at $47,490 for the entry-level Life model, and step up to $49,490 for the Intens trim. Regardless of your spend, though, you get the same (and recently upgraded) “Z.E. 40” battery pack - enough for a claimed 300km of “real-world driving”, and an official range of 400km.

The Zoe's electric motor generates 68kW and 220Nm, allowing for a leisurely run to 100km/h of 14.5 seconds and a top speed of 135km/h. Recharging takes 15 hours using standard power, but that number can be halved or better when connected to a high-speed charger.

"Our initial roll out was to focus our discussions directly with forward-thinking fleets who want to incorporate an electric vehicle into their existing fleet of vehicles," says Renault Australia MD, Andrew Moore.

"Since commencing sales to fleets in late 2017, we’ve seen demand from a passionate group of customers who would like the opportunity to purchase a Renault electric vehicle and we’re thrilled to now be able to offer this.

“We look forward to being at the forefront of the inevitable move toward electric vehicles in Australia utilising clean, renewable energy sources to power our transportation."

The Zoe joins a small, but growing, fleet of affordable (though that term is relative) EV options in Australia, pioneered by the Nissan Leaf - with a new model expected to arrive before March 2019 - and including the incoming Tesla Model 3.

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