On Friday, 1 June 2012, the Renault ZOE set the world record for the longest distance travelled in 24 hours by a production electric car. The event took place at the Aubevoye speed ring in Normandy where ZOE completed 363 laps, covering a total distance of 1 618 km in 24 hours. The Renault ZOE beat the previous record of 1280 km with an improvement of 25%.

Renault ZOE big on performance and reliability

Two Renault ZOE vehicles set out on the speed ring at Aubevoye with fifteen drivers responsible for driving and charging where necessary. After 24 hours both ZOE’s crossed the line completing 1 618 km and 1 506 km respectively. The ZOE makes use of a technologically advanced Caméléon charger that is compatible with any socket and any power level.

The world-first Caméléon charger allows ZOE to be fast charged at 43kW, restoring 80% of battery capacity in less than 30 minutes. The record was also made possible by the best-in-class NEDC range of 210km (between 100 km and 150 km in real conditions, depending on conditions of use). The Renault ZOE was fast-charged 18 times over a 24 hour period.

The Renault ZOE will go on sale in Europe at the end of the year. There is no indication that the Renault ZOE will be available in South Africa.