Renault Zoe E-Tech sets EV record – goes 475 miles on single charge
The Renault Zoe E-Tech has set a new record for electric vehicle driving by covering 475.4 miles on a single charge.
Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ Motorsport Charity, broke the Renault Zoe ‘hypermiling’ record after its team drove the all-electric supermini for more than 24 hours at Thruxton Race Circuit.
The original record of 351 miles was set in France in 2018 on the Paris Peripherique. However, the Mission Motorsport team took the record on June 10th after an excellent display of deft driving on the UK’s fastest racetrack. Using its endurance motorsport experience, the team managed to achieve 9.14 miles per kilowatt hour, while averaging a remarkably restrained optimum speed of 19 mph.
Two Renault Zoes were used for the record attempt, both of which were supplied by Hendy Renault. Both were completely standard, aside from one running on ENSO range-extending tyres. With its original OEM tyres, the first Renault Zoe achieved 424.7 miles on a single charge to smash the existing record, setting off at 9.40 am on Wednesday, June 9th and finally coasting to a stop at 11:45 pm on Thursday, June 10th, having been driven for over 22 hours.
However, the identical Renault Zoe, fitted with ENSO’s propriety EV tyres, went further still, achieving 475.4 miles after also setting off at the same time, but finishing at 14:57 pm on Thursday, June 10th after lapping Thruxton circuit in excess of 25 hours.
The achievement betters the official WLTP range of the Renault Zoe by 230 miles, which claims to cover up to 245 miles on a single charge. Its usability is also enhanced by a comprehensive standard specification and flexible charging options, the latter including its 52kWh battery being able to be charged to 80 per cent in just one hour and ten minutes.
Says James Cameron, Mission Motorsport CEO:
“The Zoe was a perfect choice for us – but to cover such an extraordinary distance frankly blew us away. Driving through the night both in training and for the record itself with absolute precision was a challenge for the team but the Zoe proved more than up to the task. It was important to set a record with an absolutely standard car, and we’ve all been charmed and astonished by the little Renault’s character and tenacity”
Renault claims its Zoe E-Tech is the best-selling electric car in Europe. It is available in Play, Iconic and GT Line levels of trim. The range is priced from £27,595 on-the-road after the grant is added. All new Zoe models come with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty, plus an eight-year 100,000-mile battery warranty.
