2018 Renault Zoe electric car: more powerful motor to go with last year’s bigger battery2018 Renault Zoe electric car: more powerful motor to go with last year’s bigger battery

The subcompact Renault Zoe hatchback has been Europe’s best-selling electric car for several years now.
Last year, sales soared after it received a major upgrade to its battery pack, which grew to 41 kilowatt-hours, up from 22 kwh in earlier versions, almost doubling its range to 300 to 400 kilometers (185 to 250 miles) on the European test cycle.
This year, the Zoe has received a more powerful motor to accompany the bigger battery.
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On Monday, Renault announced the 2018 Zoe would be fitted with a new 80-kilowatt (107-horsepower) motor, known as the R110.
That’s a boost of 12 kw from the R90 motor used from 2012 through 2017, which was rated at 68 kw (91 hp).
The torque rating for the upgraded motor is 225 newton-meters (166 foot-pounds), though Renault said the R110 remains at the same size and weight as the less-powerful unit.
Longer-range Renault Zoe electric car, introduced at 2016 Paris Motor Show
Drivers of 2018 Zoes will enjoy, Renault said, “crisper acceleration performance on trunk roads, since the new motor shaves almost two seconds off … 80-to-120-km/h time.”
That improvement is similar to the one found in the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, whose motor rose from 80 kw to 110 kw (107 hp to 147 hp), an improvement most notable at highway speeds.
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But Renault is careful to note that the latest version of its electric motor was developed entirely in-house, the unsaid implication being this is not the 80-kw motor used in the first-generation Nissan Leaf.
The Renault motor is now offered with five different outputs for Renault’s growing range of electric passenger vehicles: 44 kw, 57 kw, 60 kw, 68 kw, and now 80 kw.
Longer-range Renault Zoe electric car, introduced at 2016 Paris Motor Show
Other changes to the latest Renault Zoe include Android Auto as an available option, and a “stylish” new dark metallic paint color called Blueberry Purple.
The top-end “Intens” trim level offers that color plus a “violet satin finish” for various interior trim pieces, along with violet-and-black upholstery.
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The latest Zoe will be available to order starting next month, though it is not sold in North America.
Owners of older Renault Zoe models with the lower-capacity battery in Europe, however, can upgrade to the new, larger pack if they leased their battery rather than purchased it outright along with the car itself.

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