All The Renault Electric Cars You Can Buy In The UK

Renault has pioneered the electric car industry as one of the first major auto manufacturers to provide affordable electric cars to the general public. In 2012, Renault released the Renault Zoe, just two years after the original Nissan Leaf hit the streets. 

Despite Renault’s early interest in the EV market, they haven’t been as active as other companies, and for some time, the Zoe was the only notable Renault electric car. However, they have gradually grown their range, and in 2022, launched a new generation of Renault electric cars with the Renault Megane E-Tech hatchback. 

Renault has been a serious player in the industry and has released plenty of electric vehicles in the past decade; if you’re interested in what cars the French company currently offers in the UK, we’ve provided this guide for you.

Renault’s Electric Car Journey

Renault launched the ZE line of all-electric cars back in 2012. Back then, they started with four affordable EVs but gradually grew their offerings to include many cars, such as the fun Renault Twizy, stylish Zoe and playful Twingo Electric. The ZE (which stands for zero emissions) line was very successful for Renault and led to global sales of over 150,000 units by June 2019. However, in 2021, they started to phase out the ZE line and rebranded it as E-Tech Electric. 

As well as offering all-electric cars and vans, you can buy plenty of hybrid cars, such as the Clio E-Tech, Arkana and Captur. They also offer hydrogen-powered vehicles such as the Kangoo ZE Hydrogen. 

In 2022, Renault launched the Megane E-Tech, the first model of their “2.0 generation” of electric cars, using the innovative CMF-EV platform to increase vehicle efficiency. The French company has ambitious plans for the future and, like most companies, plan to transition to only selling 100% electric cars by 2030. However, company officials have said this deadline doesn’t apply outside Europe and for the group’s other brands like Dacia.

Renault Electric Cars You Can Buy Right Now In The UK

Renault Megane E-Tech

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The Renault Megane E-Tech is Renault’s first electric car of its 2.0 generation. It has been available to order since November 2022 and can go from 0 - 62 mph in 7.4 seconds. Prices start for the vehicle at £36,995, which isn’t cheap compared to its rivals’ prices.

The stylish electric family hatchback rivals include well-established EVs like the Volkswagen ID.3, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Nissan Leaf. However, as the Megane E-Tech is being pitched as a ‘driver’s choice’ vehicle, which prioritises performance and style as opposed to the practicality of those three cars, its only direct competitor is the Cupra Born. 

The Megane E-Tech is unrelated to the Megane line of hatchbacks produced by Renault since 1996 as it is built on a new EV platform and isn’t a simple replacement of the motor with a battery. It is a significant overhaul that uses the CMF-EV platform also used on the Nissan Ariya.

It’s a good-looking vehicle that is fun to drive. It doesn’t have the most impressive range, but it is a very reliable vehicle. Regarding charging speed, it would take roughly nine hours to charge it with a 7.4 kW AC home charging point or around half an hour if you charge it above 129 kW DC at a public charging station.

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Renault Zoe E-Tech

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The Renault Zoe was launched in 2012, and it quickly became one of the most popular electric cars and established Renault as a market leader. Over the years, the Zoe has experienced multiple facelifts to keep it competitive with its rivals, such as an improved interior, infotainment and refining its driving experience.

While it remains a good car, it can no longer claim to have the domination of the market that it once had, as there have been a host of great EVs arriving in the market, such as the Mini Electric Hatch, the Honda e, the Fiat 500 Electric, the Peugeot e-208 and the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. Many of these EVs have surpassed the Zoe, but it is still a competitive car with a longer range than most rivals. 

Its constant reinvention and facelifts mean the car is no longer as cheap as it once was and is now more expensive than many competitors. The biggest concern about the Zoe is that in its 2021 Euro NCAP safety test, it got an unusual score of 0 stars, as low as it could be. This raised eyebrows and might put people off the car, especially with the amount of high-quality alternative vehicles. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean the car should be avoided.

The Zoe is an ideal car for sub-50 mph journeys and urban life. It isn’t very fast, with a max speed of 84 mph, nor does it charge fast, with a max speed of 46 kW DC. But the Zoe is a great pick if you live in an area with plenty of charging points or own a home charging point and only use the car in the city. 

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Renault Kangoo E-Tech

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One of Renault’s most recent additions to their EV range is the small all-electric van, the Kangoo E-Tech, released in 2023, with prices starting at £34,975. The van comes with only one battery option of 45 kWh, which provides a range of fewer than 200 miles making it fairly limited. It also has a payload less than diesel alternatives. It has a maximum charging speed of just 80 kW DC, meaning you can charge it to about 80% in around 40 minutes. 

The Kangoo is the second generation of the Kangoo ZE, which originally came out in 2012. This version is new and improved with a bigger battery, wider range and better performance. It has decent towing ability and is a smooth car to drive. 

When the original Kangoo was announced a decade ago, it was a pioneer in its field and was one of the only electric small vans available. Over the past ten years, this has changed, and there are now plenty of other choices like the Citroën e-Berlingo, Peugeot e-Partner and the Vauxhall Combo Electric. However, the Kangoo E-Tech is a very good small electric van that rivals its competitors.

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Renault Master E-Tech

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The Renault Master E-Tech is one of Renault’s bigger vans. It shares many of the same components as the smaller Renault Kangoo E-Tech. The Renault Master first went electric in 2018 as the first major large electric van. Upon release, it stood out in the market. However, in the intervening half-decade, there are many new rivals in the market that have started challenging the Master’s dominance. 

It rivals vans like the Ford E-Transit, Maxus eDeliver 9 and the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter. Many of its rivals, like the Fiat E-Ducato, surpass the Master with a larger range and a higher payload. However, the van that truly rivals the Master is the more affordable Ford E-Transit. It has a longer driving range and a more powerful performance, making it the standout large electric van on the market.

That isn’t to say the Master is a bad van. It’s easy to use and offers plenty of cargo space, but its range is a serious issue as it can go just 124 miles with each charge from its 52 kWh battery. Another issue is that the max charging speed is just 22 kW AC, so it’ll take around one hour and 30 minutes to charge the van from 20 - 80% if charged as fast as possible. 

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Renault Hybrid Cars You Can Buy In The UK 2023

Renault Clio E-Tech

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The Renault Clio has been around for 30 years and is an established vehicle on British streets. However, Renault seems to have levelled up the car with this generation. The hybrid supermini offers impressive performance and ultra-stylish design and is perhaps the best vehicle of the recent wave of hybrid hatchbacks. The Clio E-Tech is not a plug-in hybrid.

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Renault Arkana

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The Renault Arkana is another full-hybrid car with regenerative braking as its main power source. The car is an unusual EV that rivals premium coupe-SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and stylish but practical crossovers like the Toyota C-HR. 

It’s a front-wheel drive-only car that offers great value for money. However, on the negative side, it also offers a firm ride, a drab interior and average performance at best. It’s a rather middle-of-the-road car that is a great budget option, with prices starting at £25,850. 

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Renault Captur E-Tech

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The Renault Captur E-Tech is a practical and reliable hybrid vehicle available in both plug-in and full hybrid versions. It’s comfortable to drive and has an effective all-electric mode offering 30 miles from its 9.8 kWh battery. It goes from 0 - 62 mph in 106 seconds, similar to its rivals like the Honda HR-V and also has competitive CO2 emissions at 114g/km. The Renault Captur is a good hybrid family car. 

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Find The Best Public Charging Points Near You With Bonnet

Renault has been a pioneer in electric vehicles for a long time. During that time, the UK went from a country with patches of charging to one filled with great infrastructure with charging points in every corner of the country. However, with the abundance of options, charging can get complicated.

Finding a charger that suits your purposes doesn’t have to be hard. Bonnet is our app that lets motorists quickly and easily identify the nearest charger to them, providing convenient charging at the right speed and price.

Bonnet connects you to 17+ charging networks where you can use all their charging stations without downloading a separate app for each network. Many networks require you to pay for a membership before letting you use their chargers – bypass this by downloading Bonnet and accessing them for free. We’re proud partners of many of Britain’s most recognisable public charging networks, such as Fastned, Osprey and Shell Recharge.

As well as helping motorists discover the best chargers, we also help them afford them. We have a membership option called Bonnet Boosts, which has helped our customers save millions in charging. There are two Bonnet Boost options for people to choose from.

The first is Light Boost, which is £2 monthly for 10% off all their charging in our partners’ networks. Light Boost is the perfect way to charge if you have regular access to a charging point but still find yourself at public charging stations.

The other option is Turbo Boost, which is £8 monthly for 15% off your charging bill. Turbo Boost is ideal for motorists who don’t have a home charging point and rely on public charging. 

To make charging easy and simple, you should download Bonnet today.