Renault

The address of this page was a stock listing on a used-car dealer site that no longer exists. The stock is gone; what follows is a reference to the marque itself — what you will meet on the UK used market, and what is worth checking. Nothing here is offered for sale.

Renault’s most distinctive presence on the UK used market is the Zoe, one of the first mass-market electric cars sold here, and it comes with a complication that no petrol car has: on many early examples the battery was not sold with the car.

The battery lease

A large number of early Zoes were sold with the traction battery on a separate monthly lease rather than owned outright. Renault dropped the scheme for the newer model in 2020, but the used market still carries both kinds, and the difference is substantial — cars with the battery included command a materially higher price than lease examples of the same age and mileage.

The lease is not automatically a bad deal. It typically includes replacement of the battery if its capacity falls below a stated threshold, and Renault’s scheme bundled breakdown cover for running out of charge. But you must establish which kind of car you are looking at, what the monthly obligation is, and that the agreement transfers cleanly.

Reported faults

Owner surveys of the Zoe report faults on a meaningful minority of cars, with the 12-volt auxiliary battery the leading complaint — its failure has locked owners out of the car entirely. Air conditioning, bodywork, brakes and non-motor electrics also feature, along with reports of a brake compressor fixed under warranty and of heavy tyre wear attributed to the weight of the battery pack.

Buying an early electric car

Battery state of health is the central check. Many cars display a figure, and independent testing services will produce a certificate. Large-scale UK testing has found used electric car batteries in better health than the public assumes, and high mileage does not automatically mean a degraded pack — judge the individual car.

Electric cars have no tailpipe emissions and no Euro standard, so emissions-zone charges do not apply on those grounds. Vehicle tax is separate: electric cars are no longer exempt, and the rate depends on the first registration date and list price.