Popular Renault supermini taken off sale in UK after 11 years… with replacement EV already lined up
THE popular Renault supermini has been taken off sale in the UK after 11 years, but now a replacement EV has been lined up.
The French car giant is set to bring the curtain down on the Zoe on March 30 next year.
It was confirmed last year that the Zoe was to be discontinued, despite its position as the best-selling EV in its home country.
A Renault spokesperson told Autocar that production of the Zoe was coming to an end and would be replaced with the Renault 5 electric hatchback.
The new motor will be showcased at the Geneva motor show in February.
More than 30,000 Zoes were sold in the UK and more than 380,000 in Europe altogether.
It was the top-selling EV in Europe for two years, topping the sales charts in 2015 and 2016. More than 100,000 sales were in France alone.
Company boss Fabrice Cambolive previously spoke to Autocar about ending the much-loved Zoe model, which was deemed best-selling EV for two years in Europe.
He said: “It depends on the market. If a market is fully electric, okay, but most markets will have pure electric for the compact segment, and until 2035, if needed, we will have Clio and Captur too.
"They will have hybrid technology because that’s our solution, the technological choice we made to replace the normal of the combustion engine.”
The manufacturer is now focused on a mix of hybrid and electric cars, which will co-exist for the foreseeable future.
It comes as another huge car manufacturer, VW, slashed EV production as the demand for electric models falls.
Recent data shows electric car sales have plummeted as more drivers opt for petrol and diesel vehicles.
Research has revealed the average cost of second hand EVs slashed by nearly a quarter last month, according to data by AutoTrader.
Elon Musk's popular Tesla brand has been one of the worst-affected, as well as other high-end models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.