Renault unveils new Zoe, says it has longest range of any major electric car

Renault has introduced a brand-new electrical vehicle that it claims will conquer mental barriers of drivers who fear running out of power in between charges.

Launched on Thursday before the Paris Motor Show, the most latest Zoe model will have the longest series of any mainstream electrical automobile, the French automaker stated.

Comparisons will undoubtedly be drawn with US-headquartered Tesla, whose models match the Zoe’s 250-mile (400km) battery, but Renault stated it was competing for a different market. The majority of mainstream electrical vehicles, such as those by BMW and Nissan, having a series of 100-150 miles.

The vehicle’s battery, made in collaboration with LG, has nearly twice the capacity, utilizes different chemistry and weighs two times as much as the battery in the original Zoe, that had a range of 149 miles.

There are now about 1.26 million electric cars across the world, up from 6,000 in 2009.

The new Zoe will be provided to UK in November and is expected to cost around ₤ 17,000 ($22,066) from Saturday after a ₤ 4,500 ($5,841) federal government grant.