TOP EVS

“ Range anxiety ” is the name for the fear that your electric car will run out of battery , thereby leaving you stranded . It even has its own Wikipedia page . However , French automaker Renault thinks it has come up with the solution to the problem — and its name is Zoe .

The new and improved Renault Zoe debuted just prior to this year ’ s Paris motor show , and it has boasts some impressive specs , not least of all the ability to travel up to 400km , or 250 miles , on a single charge . That exceeds the Tesla Model 3 ’ s advertised range of 345km . Renault claims this is the longest range of any mainstream electric vehicle .

Naturally , the ultra-efficient Zoe comes with a marked up price tag : it ’ ll set you back an extra € 3,500 . And all that power comes with some added weight , too . The battery weighs almost double what it did in the original model , which had a range of roughly 150 miles .

“ We are breaking psychological barriers with the range … 300km [ 186 miles , the car ’ s expected range in suburban environments ] is a real threshold in the mind of the people ,” said Eric Feunteun , Vice-President of Renault ’ s electric vehicle programme .

22 November 2016