Renault is working on two new compact EVs, the 4 and the 5, but they won’t debut until 2025. The French automaker is expected to phase out the Zoe EV by then and it reportedly doesn’t plan on giving it a new generation, encouraging buyers to consider one of their hybrids instead before its two important new models arrive.
The Zoe was introduced in 2012, quickly becoming the most popular EV in its native France. However, it’s also very popular all around Europe even today, both for private ownership and car sharing schemes alike - there’s even a version with no rear windows and back seat, created for in-town delivery jobs where a normal van would be too big (or not allowed into the center of some cities in Europe).
Around 350,000 have been built to date and Renault has still yet to announce when it plans to pull the plug on the Zoe. During the hiatus between the Zoe’s discontinuation and the launch of the new Renault EVs, the manufacturer will steer prospective buyers towards the Clio and Captur E-Tech Hybrid models.
Fabrice Cambolive, the CEO of Renault, who revealed that the Zoe would not be replaced, explained this dual approach to Autocar and stated that
It depends on the market. If a market is fully electric, okay, but most markets will have pure electric for the compact segment, and until 2035, if needed, we will have Clio and Captur too. They will have hybrid technology because that’s our solution, the technological choice we made to replace the normal of the combustion engine.
Phrased that way, it sounds like the strategy is not set in stone. We se no reason why Renault couldn’t give the Zoe another facelift, or just start dropping its price and keep selling it until 2025. The Renault boss clearly emphasized that they would resort to hybrids only “if needed” and that the market will ultimately dictate the direction.
