Motor Trader The award-winning and longest running UK magazine for car retailing professionals. Your first stop for News, Jobs and Reports for the motor industry.
Renault hopes to boost sales of its two electric vehicles by allowing them to be bought complete with the battery. Until now all the lithium ion batteries in Renault EVs have been supplied on a lease basis with a monthly charge.
While the leasing option will still be offered the Zoe hatchback and Kangoo ZE van are now available as complete packages.
Including the battery adds £4,448 to the Zoe price, which after the government’s plug-in car grant now costs from £18,443.
The Kangoo ZE, formerly £12,995 plus VAT, now costs from £16,161, again after after the Government grant is taken into account.
Zoes and Kangoos that include the battery in their price will have an ‘i’ added to their model names, to assist in calculating residual values. They will also be supplied with a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty on the batteries in addition to Renault’s standard four-year warranty. This guarantees the battery maintaining a minimum 70% of the original capacity in the Zoe and 66% in the Kangoo.
Meanwhile Renault has reduced its battery leasing charges for the Zoe from £45 to £25 per month, and from £61 to £33 (plus VAT) for the Kangoo.
Renault’s move has been welcomed by CAP Automotive.
“The Zoe and Kangoo Van ZE ranges have become a time-tested, high-quality, innovative and important component of a fast-growing vehicle sector. CAP Automotive welcomes any steps that broaden choice for the customer and increase the opportunities for take-up of these cars by the motoring public and businesses,” said Martin Ward, CAP manufacturer relationship manager.
