Not everyone was happy when Renault announced it will sell electric vehicles with affordable prices, but will ask its clients to pay a monthly fee to lease the batteries. It was a crazy idea, that worked.
Renault has signed its 100,000th electric vehicle battery leasing contract via RCI Bank and Services, the financial services arm of Groupe Renault. Renault, Europe’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, has offered battery leasing since the launch of its first electric vehicle.
Even in those countries where it is also possible to purchase the battery, leasing remains the preferred solution for the majority of our customers. In the UK, 94 per cent of ZOE owners leased their battery in 2016.
If the battery fails, or if its energy capacity drops significantly, Renault will change or repair it free of charge, for the duration of the vehicle’s lifecycle. Therefore, used car buyers benefit from a guaranteed level of battery performance, which is a significant advantage for owners.
Thanks to battery leasing, from later in 2017, owners of a ZOE equipped with a 22kWh pack will be able to upgrade to the Z.E. 40 battery, and benefit from increased range (NEDC range of 250 miles, real-world range of 186 miles in temperate conditions), for an additional cost.
