There are 3 units of the all new ZOE right now being tested.
The electric car movement in Malaysia started with the Tan Chong automotive group way back in 2013 when they launched the first model Nissan Leaf. Priced at RM168,000 it had a 100,000 km or 3-year warranty. With a 195km all electric driving range, it had just a few Malaysian owners.
Then in March 2016 the Tan Chong group introduced the Renault ZOE electric car and it was priced at just RM145,888 with a driving range of about 210km.
With little enthusiasm from the Malaysian government and Greentech Malaysia looking more towards luxury electric cars from BMW and Tesla at the time, the ZOE only had a few interested early adopters in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, in Europe, the ZOE continued to be a best seller and became the best selling electric car with the Nissan Leaf closely behind.
Fast forward to 2022 and the demand for electric cars in all segments are growing very fast in Malaysia and even the middle class Malaysian is wanting an electric car in their garage.
2022 ZOE Range And Charging
The New ZOE benefits from the new 52 kWh Z.E. 50 battery, which takes the usable range up to 389 kilometers (WLTP), which is an increase of around 30 percent over the old 40 kWh pack. It now also offers fast direct current (DC) charging, in addition to the alternating current charging (AC) options already available at home or on the street.
Despite the increase in range and capacity, the battery has not increased in size physically, meaning no loss of interior space and practicality. Another benefit of Z.E. 50 is its ability to deliver more performance from the new R135 motor.
At its launch in late 2012, the first ZOE with its 22 kWh battery offered around 150 kilometers of real range, a range that already far exceeded the daily distance traveled by the average European or even Malaysian daily driver.
In 2016, Renault launched the second generation of Renault ZOE with its 41kWh Z.E. 40 battery that doubled the real world range to 300 kilometers.
For the New ZOE, engineers focused on the architecture of the lithium-ion battery and the different aspects of its design, achieving an impressive 52 kWh within the same physical cell size. This translates to a 30 percent increase in range, to 389 kilometers WLTP.
Charging the battery is also made more straightforward by the Renault EASY CONNECT smart services, which allow quick and easy location of charging points, plus the addition of the simplified optional Combo charging plug.
Located behind the Renault diamond logo charging hatch, the new Combo plug (CCS) is slightly larger than the previous plug and consists of both a European standard socket and a two-pin connector for DC charging. The central location of the socket makes charging even easier, especially on public charging stations which have their own cable.
Thanks to this Combo plug, the New ZOE is able to charge quickly with a direct current (DC) up to 50 kW, simply by inserting the charging cable attached to the terminal into the two-pin connector that’s sited below the type-2 socket.
The standard type-2 cable provided with the car and the Caméléon charger are used for everyday AC charging use, such as at home with a Wallbox, at work, in the car park or on public roads using anything up to a 22kW supply.
When using a 7kW Wallbox the New ZOE can charge from 0 to 100 percent in 9 hours and 25 minutes. This ensures that a complete recharge can comfortably be achieved overnight. Around 306 kilometers of range can be achieved in just 8 hours.
Users charging their vehicle at home can also benefit from the programming options, adjusting their recharge to correspond with tariff fluctuations from their electricity supplier.
Plugging the Renault ZOE into a public 22kW roadside charger can deliver a useful 126 kilometers of range in only one hour.
However, the fastest recharge times are achieved with the new 50kW DC charging option, which is perfect for longer trips. Replenishing the battery in this way can add around 145 kilometers of range in as little as half an hour.
Meanwhile, we will update you on its official launch and selling price in Malaysia in the coming weeks.
