This time it’s Elon Mausk’s Tesla to blame the blow. It is not one of those that can be learned but it is still a step backwards. The Model 3 of the california house must in fact sell the scepter of the best-selling electric model in Europe to the “small” Zoe, Renault’s highly successful model.
The zero-emission French car (32 thousand euros the list price, excluding incentives, against over fifty thousand of the American rival) has come a long way since 2009, when Carlos Ghosn, then head of Renault, presented for the first time the concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. An extraordinary sales path, culminating in the 38,000 units delivered in Europe during the first six months of 2020, a result that earned it the coveted continental record, thus putting the Model 3, Volkswagen Golf and Nissan Leaf in line .
“It is basically the same car that has existed for a long time,” said Felipe Munoz, an analyst at the automotive research firm Jato Dynamics. “So the latest hit is a surprising one.” The surprise subsides, however, if we consider the incentives now available for buyers of electric cars in France and Germany, two of the major European markets. The French government offers up to 7,000 euros for the purchase of an electric car. Germany, on the other hand, offers incentives of up to € 9,000 per vehicle.
The French giant has announced that it has sold more than 300,000 vehicles in Europe since the launch of its electrified range and at the same time that it has registered more than 100,000 Zoes in France alone.
According to the parent company, Zoe’s success is due to various factors, and at the top of the list is the constant updating of on-board technologies. A few examples? A heat pump for the air conditioning system, specific tires to reduce rolling resistance as well as the famous decoupled pedal that allows energy recovery when braking. The 41 kWh battery with a practically doubled range, equal to 300 km (WLTP cycle), as well as the new top-of-the-range versions, which include the new set-up, do their job. Edition One with leather trim. The Caméléon charger on board also offers great charging versatility, ranging from a simple domestic socket to 22kW columns to recover up to 80 km in just 30 minutes, the time of a small stop.
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