Date set for the end of Zoe

Renault will cease production of its Zoe electric car on 30 March 2024. It was already clear that there would be no new Zoe generation, but now the date has been set for the end of production at the Flins plant. Zoe has blazed a trail in her time.

The electric Renault pioneer is making room for a new generation of Renault electric cars, for which Zoe piloted vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, including the electric Renault 5. The R5 will be unveiled as a production model later this year and produced from 2024 onwards in Douai in northern France rather than in Flins like Zoe.

In addition to the Zoe, another of the French electric pioneers is on the brink of extinction – Renault recently announced that production of the Twizy electric microcar will end in September 2023, replaced by the Mobilize Duo and its cargo offshoot Bento. The two new models will be fully integrated into operations at Flins with mechanisms of the circular economy and new approaches to the car as a revenue platform.

To date, around 420,000 units of the Zoe have been produced since the start of production in 2012. Although there are still relatively few B-segment electric cars are still on the market, customer interest in the Zoe has been has been steadily declining. According to French reports, 12,182 Zoes were sold last year, almost half the number sold in 2021. The competing Peugeot e-208 achieved sales of around 19,000.

But in comparison to other Renault models, with 12,200 Zoes sold last year, she does not fall too far behind her electric siblings. The Twingo Electric came in at 12,600 units, and the larger Mégane E-Tech sold 15,580 vehicles in the same year. Renault has not yet communicated how many units it hopes to sell of the all-new R5.

Despite the extensive overhaul in 2019, the Zoe is behind the small Stellantis electric car in other key data, such as the DC charging performance. But it is the topic of charging where Zoe has really paved the way for her successors. Renault’s Zoe featured in multiple vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot projects and her new brother, the R5 will be V2G-capable, the first of its kind for Renault and a trailblazer in the industry generally.

To accompany the market launch of the Renault 5, the mobility brand is launching the so-called Mobilize V2G service, including a smartphone app that can be used to programme bidirectional charging. Criteria such as a desired battery level and/or the time at which the vehicle will next be used can be recorded there. According to Mobilize, the service will also be available for other Renault electric vehicles in the future – all thanks to Zoe.

automobile-magazine.fr (in French)