CAR REVIEW: Zoe, Renault Electric dreams? Living with the Renault Zoe

The electric car has seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years. Once seen as the preserve of milk floats and mobility scooters, advances in battery technology have increased range, reduced charging time and made electric vehicles seem a viable option. The question is how do they perform in the real world? Only one way to find out….

Renault's Zoe is an all-electric supermini that is around the same length and width as a Clio (they even share a platform) but a bit taller. You wouldn't call it an MPV or a crossover but you do find yourself looking over the roofs of most other cars meaning visibility is excellent. Thanks to clever packaging of the batteries, motor and other mechanical bits there's plenty of space inside. Front seat passengers will be able to stretch out and even wear a hat while those in the back won't be much worse off. It's no limo but it's certainly better than you'd expect from this size of car. Open the boot and you'll be pleasantly surprised again; it's huge for a supermini although the load lip is a little high and does without a plastic trim. It's a minor thing but I'd worry about scratching the paint when loading something heavy or bulky. More of an annoyance are the pair of charging leads in bags either side of the boot. Other manufacturers can hide them away so w hy can't Renault?

Style wise I think Renault are onto a winner. There are a few touches such as the blue rear lights and 'ZE' (zero emissions) badge that suggests electric propulsion but unlike cars like the G-Wizz or Renault's own Twizy, these aren't overt. Instead you get a nicely sculpted shape that hides its height well. The only angle I'm not keen on is the rear; the feature lines that flank the number plate and lead into the bumper make it look a bit jowly. Inside is light, airy and modern with visually appealing plastics. Sure they're hard to the touch but then you have to remember the cheapest Zoe is less than £14,000 including a £5,000 government grant. Even the top of the range model barely breaches £20,000. You'd spend an awful lot more on an electric Golf which would be a lot more austere too. At that price you do need to lease a battery pack at between £70 and £113 a month. If you want to buy the battery outright then add £4500 to the base price.

CREDIT: Alan Taylor Jones

Renault's 7" 'R-Link' infotainment system works well being easy to navigate, easy to pair a phone to via Bluetooth and lacking any sort of lag other systems sometimes suffer from. Sat-nav is an option but a CD player is not. For me this isn't really a problem as streaming music is simple plus you can always use the USB or aux port conveniently placed above a cubbyhole perfect for your media device. Conventional dials have been replaced by another TFT screen which I found clear and easy to use. There's even a gauge to show you how much juice you're using and when you're charging the batteries whilst slowing down. This becomes a very useful tool when you're looking to maximise the car's range.

Speaking of range, Renault suggests that on average you'll need to charge up every 80 miles. In practice this distance is totally achievable as long as you change your driving style to suit electric power. Gentle acceleration and deceleration is vital as is maintaining your speed where possible. While this may sound like hassle, the reality is that it's actually pretty relaxing. You soon get used to barely touching the brake pedal, instead relying on the car's regenerative brakes that harvest energy as you start coasting. What may grate is that air-con and heating take a chunk out of the range; not an issue on short commutes but potentially a worry on longer journeys. Still, chargers are popping up all the time and the most powerful can squeeze 80% of a full charge into the Zoe in 30 minutes.

CREDIT: Alan Taylor Jones

So what's it like to drive? Being electric there's only one forward gear plus reverse with no clutch at all. I suppose you could compare it to an automatic (there's only a throttle and brake pedal) but with totally seamless acceleration. Performance below 40mph is actually pretty brisk, feeling much quicker than the numbers suggest. Over 40 it does struggle a little as the torque drops off significantly. 70mph is achievable but it drains the battery very very quickly; it's better to stick to 60 or below and relax. The ride is fairly comfortable although the stiff sidewalls of the low profile economy tyres mean potholes and expansion joints can thump through the suspension into the cabin. There is a fair amount of body roll if you push it hard around a corner but it never feels unstable thanks to the low mounted batteries. You'd never call it fun or involving but it is very competent and not at all unpleasant, perfect for commuting in other words.

With that in mind it's commuting that I did plenty of in my week with the car. Renault will supply all Zoes with a fast charger as plugging it into a normal electric socket gives a charging time of 16 hours. Thankfully I had access to a fast charger which ensured the car was always 100% charged at the end of the working day. In total I travelled nearly 400 miles and came away very impressed. Only once did I suffer from any 'range anxiety' but even then I was able to get to a charger which topped up the battery enough to get me home after less than 45 minutes.

Make no mistake, the Zoe won't be for everyone. If you need to go more than 80 miles in a day and/or spend a lot of time on motorways then you're better off sticking to a diesel. For the rest of us – a sizable majority – then the Zoe does make sense. It's quiet, refined, easy to drive and very spacious while the styling is significantly nicer than the vast number of 'eco' cars. If I were in the market for a new supermini, the Zoe would be a serious contender.

Pros

Spacious

Easy to drive

Fast charging times

Cons

Range could still be better

Not much fun

Charging cable storage could be better

by Alan Taylor Jones

Source: CAR REVIEW: Zoe, Renault Electric dreams? Living with the Renault Zoe

Chevy Volt an electric, smooth and silent operator

LABEL: AFFORDABLE CAR REVIEW

With the usual Toronto traffic hell made worse recently by the Pan Am Games and the resulting temporary HOV lanes, and me, finding myself commuting daily from Oakville to the Royal Alex Theatre for the Mirvish production of Kinky Boots, it seemed like a pretty good time to book a 2015 Chevy Volt for a week of electric car nirvana.

Nirvana, in this case, meant silently cruising the HOV lanes courtesy of the Volt's Green Car status. With an electric range of about 60 kilometres, I could cover most of my commute sans emissions before the Volt's range-extender 1.4L four-cylinder gas engine fired up. According to GM, Volts cover about two-thirds of distance driven on grid electricity, so this experiment plunked me square into Volt poster-boy territory.

Clean, congestion-free running with the promise of minuscule gasoline bills? What's not to like? In this scenario, membership has its privileges.

The Chevrolet Volt leapt onto the automotive stage in 2011 to much fanfare. It was a bold move for GM, building a mid-size hatchback electric sedan that carried around a four-cylinder engine whose primary function was not to power the front wheels when the 16 kWh lithium-ion battery ran dry, but to spin a generator to make the juice to power the electric-drive motor.

While this technology is nothing new (locomotives have been doing it for decades), it was pretty fresh thinking for a car. Once all the hoopla died down, Volt sales flattened and remained there. It's hard to sell a pricey green vehicle when gas is cheap. And especially when the car only seats four — the large T-shaped battery pack sticks up between the rear seats.

The Volt's ace in the hole is its ability to about double the EV range of a typical plug-in hybrid. Conversely, it won't return the mileage of, say, a Toyota Pruis when the battery is depleted.

Coming in 2016 is a new Volt that promises to be less expensive, more efficient, have better EV range and seat five. It will also be cheaper to build, which should help GM's cause, as the automaker still loses money on every Volt sold.

In the meantime, this 2015 model with a base price of $37,195 (before the $8,500 Ontario green car rebate) is what we have. Just over $5,000 in options brings a host of kit to the table — navigation, leather, Bose audio, rearview camera, park assist, forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, and iridescent pearl tricoat paint.

As I don't have a 240v charger at my house, the Volt will take about 11 hours to fully charge on a 110v plug (four hours, otherwise). Nonetheless, I'm not alone in this — about half of Volt owners make do with regular household current. How do they know this? The standard three years of free OnStar lets Big Brother … er, GM, in on your every Volt move.

The Volt's interior is futuristic but a bit tacky, with the white plastic overkill, and the touchscreen interface, along with all the touch-sensitive points on the console, are fussy and unintuitive. The back seats are comfortable, but headroom is limited. However, the hatchback configuration offers decent utility.

As with all electrically powered vehicles, the Volt is a smooth and silent operator. The electric motor puts out 149 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, and while the Volt is not crazy fast like the Tesla, its acceleration is adequate for normal driving. And with no transmission and 100 per cent of the torque from zero r.p.m., motivation is a seamless process.

Merging onto the QEW in Oakville, the display tells me I have 62 km of electric range. That will get me downtown and about halfway home before the 83-hp, 1.4L gas engine springs to life. I work my way over to the temporary HOV lane and tuck in, expecting all kinds of accusing stares from the poor sods trundling along beside me. After all, save for its green plate, the Volt looks pretty much like any other mid-size sedan. My initial trepidation and slight feelings of guilt melt away much faster than the Volt's projected EV range that, surprise, proves to be very accurate, even cruising along at over 100 km/h.

Being so aerodynamic, there is very little wind noise. The narrow low rolling resistant tires don't do much for road holding, and they provide a slightly brittle ride. The steering is somewhat vague, too, but I doubt anyone is buying this car for its sporting nature. Overall, the Volt is a satisfying drive, and in this situation, highly efficient.

Just as predicted, the display indicates the gas engine has come on board at around 60 km into my commute. It's largely unobtrusive — you barely know its running when at highway speeds. There are Normal, Hold, Sport and Mountain modes designed to maximize the powertrain's performance and efficiency in different situations.

After a week of commuting, and only a few dirty looks from the non-HOV crowd, the trip computer reads 535.9 kms driven, 14.8 litres of fuel consumed for an average of 2.7 L/100 km.

So, I've found the sweet spot for Chevrolet's unique plug-in hybrid. We can expect more from the second-generation 2016 model.

BASE PRICE/AS TESTED: $37,195/$33,850 (with an $8,500 Ontario rebate)

ADD-ONS: Destination charge $1,600; taxes $4,500.50

PROPULSION: Front-wheel-drive, electric drive

ENGINE: 111 kW drive motor, 83 hp range-extender, 1.4L gas four

TRANSMISSION: Direct drive

POWER/TORQUE: 149 hp, 273 lb-ft

FUEL CONSUMPTION L/100 km: All-Electric equivalent: 2.3 city, 2.5 hwy.; Gas-only: 6.7 city, 5.9 hwy.; premium-grade fuel

TIRES: Goodyear Fuel Max P215/55R17

STANDARD FEATURES: 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, heated front seats, keyless ignition and entry, remote ignition, automatic climate control, cruise, cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, OnStar, in-car Wi-Fi, a 7-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, Chevy's MyLink system, six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, auxiliary audio jack, USB interface.

ACCESSIBILITY: Fine for all four seats

COMPETITION: Ford C-Max Plug-in Hybrid, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

WHAT'S BEST: Up to 60 km of EV range

WHAT'S WORST: Only seats four

WHAT'S INTERESTING: Gas engine will partially power the front wheels under certain circumstances

MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE: www.gm.ca

LOOKS: The Volt doesn't advertise its green cred and ultra high-tech innards. For those not in the know, it's just another mid-size sedan

INTERIOR: Comfy for four but a little heavy on the "space-age" décor. The seven-inch touchscreen and touch-sensitive console panel will not be winning any ergonomic awards.

PERFORMANCE: A rewarding car to drive. Smooth, silent running combined with plenty of low-end torque and decent handling.

TECHNOLOGY: Standard Chevy MyLink with Gracenote music database and Stitcher Smart Radio Compatibility. Three years of OnStar and 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot capability

WHAT YOU'LL LIKE ABOUT THIS CAR: If it fits your lifestyle, the Volt can be very cheap to run. And with the $8,500 Ontario rebate, not too expensive to buy

WHAT YOU WON'T LIKE ABOUT THIS CAR: Weird interior, requires premium fuel

Peter Bleakney is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. The vehicle tested was provided by the manufacturer. For more Toronto Star automotive coverage, go to thestar.com/autos . To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald: nmcdonald@thestar.ca .

Source: Chevy Volt an electric, smooth and silent operator

California Air Resources Board Head: All New Cars Should Be Zero-Emission In 2030

California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols (via Twitter)

Enlarge Photo

Among U.S. states, California is by far the most enthusiastic when it comes to electric cars.

And that's largely due to regulations overseen by the state's Air Resources Board.

But Mary Nichols--the chair of this agency since 2007--isn't satisfied with having just a few electric cars on California roads.

DON'T MISS: California Approves Aggressive New Plans To Combat Climate Change

"Nichols really does intend to force automakers to eventually sell nothing but electrics," according to a recent Bloomberg profile (via the Honda Fit EV Owners Facebook group).

In an interview with the news service, the 70-year-old Nichols said that she plans to push regulations that would all but eliminate sales of new cars with internal-combustion engines in California over the next few decades.

California's current zero-emission vehicle mandate requires that 2.7 percent of new cars sold in the state this year produce no greenhouse-gas emissions.

That requirement is set to increase yearly beginning in 2018, reaching 22 percent of new-car sales in 2025.

Nichols reportedly wants to push further, making 100 percent of new vehicles sold produce zero- or almost-zero emissions by 2030.

This represents the groundwork for a goal of taking internal-combustion cars completely off California roads by 2050.

ALSO SEE: California Goal: Cut Petroleum Use For Cars In Half By 2030

It's assumed that any of the gasoline or diesel vehicles sold right before the hypothetical 2030 cutoff will have ended their useful lives by then.

In her quest for emission-free California roads, Nichols is leading by example.

She drives a Honda Fit EV--one of the "compliance cars" built solely to satisfy the state's zero-emission vehicle mandate, and one that she'll have to give back when her lease expires.

2013 Honda Fit EV drive event, Pasadena, CA, June 2012

Enlarge Photo

The ambitious plans advanced by Nichols are in sync with those of California Governor Jerry Brown, under whom she has served twice as head of CARB.

In an executive order, Brown set the goal of cutting California greenhouse-gas emissions 80 percent by mid-century, and he's called for a 50-percent cut in transportation pretoleum use by 2030.

Brown named Nichols to the Air Resources Board in 1975, and made her chairwoman in 1979.

MORE: Norway's Goal: All New Cars Will Be Emission-Free By 2025 To Cut Carbon

When Brown returned to Sacramento in what the piece calls his ongoing second act, Nichols was already in the midst of her second tenure leading the board, having been reinstated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

One crucible for the endurance of Nichols' zero-emission car targets will likely come next year, in the so-called "midterm review" of the national CAFE standards that now stretch from model 2012 all the way through 2025.

During that process, carmakers are expected to argue for leniency and delays in both the California regulations and Federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, both of which are set to be reviewed.

Electric-car charging stations at Target in Fremont, CA [photo by Jack Brown]

Enlarge Photo

Among other reasons, they will cite increasing consumer preference for heavier, thirstier, less aerodynamic SUVs and crossover utility vehicles over sedans and hatchbacks--whose proportional sales have recently fallen to record lows.

A group of smaller carmakers that will have to start selling zero-emission vehicles in California in 2018 has already lobbied for the rules to allow them to comply using only plug-in hybrids, without any true zero-emission vehicles.

Nichols noted that some compromise may be possible, but also claimed stricter standards will ultimately benefit the auto industry in California.

She said carmakers view the Air Resources Board as the driving force behind certain technologies--and that's causing companies to concentrate more engineering and design resources in the state.

That could very well be a side benefit to California's relentless focus on cleaner cars.

And it will allow California to continue to be a model for the rest of the world--including several giant Chinese cities--in taking aggressive action to reduce and ultimately eliminate vehicle emissions.

[hat tip: George Betak]

_______________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Source: California Air Resources Board Head: All New Cars Should Be Zero-Emission In 2030

Three electric car charging stations avaiable in Mt. Pleasant

In an age of ever-increasing concerns about fossil fuels, three electric car charging stations in Mt. Pleasant stand out.

Krapohl Ford and Lincoln car has had two stations since 2013, said assistant manager Jeremy Haskell.

"It's for the convenience of customers, so they can charge while they're there," Haskell said.

Haskell estimates the machines - which are free to use at the dealership - are used about three to seven times a month, though he wishes they were used more often.

Advertisement

"For the amount of money we paid to get them in here I wish they were used every day," Haskell laughs.

Mt. Pleasant Downtown Development Director Michelle Sponseller said the West end of Jockey Alley is home to another one of the stations.

Sponseller said the free station was included in a grant from the Middle Michigan Economic Development Corporation as a part of the reconstruction of the parking lot known as Jockey Alley.

"The [MMEDC] has made an effort to be more environmentally friendly." Sponseller said.

Sponseller said the station's usage has been monitored since November 2014, with the data going through a system called Chargepoint. It tracks usage and lists the locations of nearby stations.

The installment has been used 166 times from last November to July 30, Sponseller said.

"It's a greener method for transportation, and we're doing our part for the people who have electric cars available to them and own one," Sponseller said.

Sponseller said there is one station in Alma.

Source: Three electric car charging stations avaiable in Mt. Pleasant

PG&E, BMW get electric vehicle demand response program rolling

Dive Brief:

Announced earlier this year, Cnet reports Pacific Gas & Electric and BWM are getting their electric vehicle demand response program underway, which will provide up to $1,540 in incentives to customers who allow the utility control over their home vehicle charging.

The program is a small pilot, called Charge Forward, and is open to 100 owners of the BMW i3 electric vehicles in the California Bay Area.

With more than 60,000 electric vehicles in its service territory, PG&E is looking to both manage demand and turn the vehicles into potential grid resources.

Dive Insight:

PG&E says its partnership with BMW is pretty much the same as any of its demand response programs – the German auto maker was tapped following a competitive solicitation to manage a minimum of 100 kW on the utility's system. But the pilot is also looking to reduce the cost of electric vehicle ownership, with a $1,000 gift card given to participants at the program's start, and up to $540 following completion of the 18-month pilot.

Customers will agree to let PG&E delaying the charging of some vehicles by up to one hour, though customers will be able to opt out each day if their charging and travel needs change.

Also as part of the partnership, the automaker is constructing an energy storage unit at the BMW Group Technology Office in Mountain View, using lithium-ion batteries that were once installed in MINI E demonstration vehicles.

During a "ChargeForward" event, PG&E will contact BMW and request a load drop of up to 100 kW. BMW will select vehicles to delay charging for up to an hour, based on owners' planned departure times via a mobile app. BMW will notify customers, who can then opt out if they choose. If electric vehicles do not provide sufficient demand response, BWM can use the MINI E bank to provide power.

According to BMW web site, at the end of the life of an electric vehicle the lithium-ion battery is expected to have 70% of its capacity still available, presenting "a compelling opportunity to maximize the use potential of the vehicle components, in addition to supporting a more sustainable energy infrastructure, through the use of the battery in a stationary energy storage system."

Recommended Reading

Cnet: BMW paying electric car owners to delay charging in Bay Area

Source: PG&E, BMW get electric vehicle demand response program rolling

Electric vehicle charging station installed at Hinton center

HINTON, W.Va. (AP) — Development officials say downtown Hinton is expected to benefit from a new electric vehicle charging station at the Hinton Technology Center.

A recent announcement by the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority says the station is within walking distance of retailers and restaurants.

There is no cost to use the station.

The authority says the Summers County Planning Commission expects usage of the station to begin gradually. Demand is expected to increase as the electric vehicle community becomes aware of the station.

The authority says the planning commission will consider additional electric vehicle charging stations in the downtown area as demand increases.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: Electric vehicle charging station installed at Hinton center

BMW-Apple In Talks On Possible Vehicle Partnership

Where else does a software company need to go to expand its ecosystem and grasp of its users? The automobile. With some companies already embracing Apple Car Play and Android Auto jointly, Apple wants to make a play for an exclusive. The software giant may have a grand vision for a BMW-Apple partnered electric car. Apple executives initiated contact with BMW to tour the facility where they make the BMW i3 to learn how it's made. At that time there was no talk of a partnership because Apple wanted to explore if they could make the cars on their own. As for BMW, they were also hesitant afraid to become a notch in Apple's supply chain belt.

During the visit, Apple executives asked BMW board members detailed questions about tooling and production and BMW executives signalled readiness to license parts, one of the sources said. News of the Leipzig visit first emerged in Germany's Manager-Magazin last week.

"Apple executives were impressed with the fact that we abandoned traditional approaches to car making and started afresh. It chimed with the way they do things too," a senior BMW source said.

With Google developing its self-driving car and Tesla already out in front with their electric Model S, it makes sense that Apple wants to venture into the auto industry. It's interesting to see them stepping into the electric car world rather than self-driving which could indicate that they believe the immediate future of cars is electric. One can only speculate what the future holds as both companies haven't given any indication as to whether or not there will be a collaboration.

  Source: Reuters

More info about author

Alex Hernandez

I'm a married father of five great kids and have been writing about technology since 2012 when I started with AndroidSPIN. I decided to branch out on my own and do an all technology site and started Techaeris in September 2013. Since then we've grown to become one of the fastest growing tech websites to get your tech news fix. I'm a graduate of DeVry University with a B.S. in Computer Networking and I enjoy technology a little too much (borderline unhealthy). You can find me on Google+ and Twitter.

More by Alex Hernandez
Source: BMW-Apple In Talks On Possible Vehicle Partnership