Zoe import questions

pabloisme

I'm considering buying a second hand 2016 Zoe from Belfast and I'm wondering if anyone can answer a few questions for me about the process.

With regard to the battery lease, how much per month would I be expecting to pay for this? I'd do approx 200km a week/800km a month.

If I were to buy the car and drive it down myself, I'd have to charge it along the way. Do all the charging points on the M1 route require an access card like the ESB one? If so, do I have to purchase the car and then wait for the access card to arrive before I can collect, drive and charge the car along the way? Or is there a way around this?

I've read conflicting answers for these questions on various forums and I'm just wondering if anyone here has firsthand experience themselves with it?

Thanks

unkel

Done worry about the charge points. You don't need the ESB card. You can just ring up the number displayed on the charger, and they will start the charge remotely for you. Also any rfid card you have might work to start the charge, like your bank card, leap card, etc.

Are you sure about getting a battery lease one though? It will be impossible to sell on, the resale value of the car will be almost zero. And the monthly payments are very high. I would strongly suggest you buy an EV with an owned battery

stesaurus

unkel wrote: »

Done worry about the charge points. You don't need the ESB card. You can just ring up the number displayed on the charger, and they will start the charge remotely for you. Also any rfid card you have might work to start the charge, like your bank card, leap card, etc.

Are you sure about getting a battery lease one though? It will be impossible to sell on, the resale value of the car will be almost zero. And the monthly payments are very high. I would strongly suggest you buy an EV with an owned battery

I don't agree with the car being worthless at all. You save thousands up front that would cover the cost of the lease for numerous years.
My ex bought one on battery lease last year from the North and it's worth pretty much the same as what she paid for it. My sister did the same from England also. Prices haven't dropped at all.

To answer the OPs question go with the lowest possible monthly. They apparently never check your mileage so it likely won't be an issue.

pabloisme

That's good to know about the card info. Thanks!

My main concern re the leased battery is the cost per month. No where seems to be able to give me a straight answer about the monthly cost. If I had that, I could calculate the cost of the car over a few years. An EV with an owned battery is favorable to me, but the difference is price is huge between them.

stesaurus

Actually just thinking through it. I'd be very tempted at that mileage to get the cheapest Zoe I could find and then pull out the data module from the car and never darken a Renault dealers doorstep. No chance of remotely deactivating it then.
Probably pay for itself in a year or two in fuel savings and just run it into the ground. Why bother paying a lease but maybe that's just me! 🀔

Mancomb Seepgood

I've been considering this myself.I'd prefer to get one with the battery owned but they seem to be extremely rare in the UK.

I accept it will impact on the resale value but it should still be possible to sell.If you are planning to keep it for no more than 2-3 years then it's likely you'll be saving vs buying a battery owned model.This is the only place that I can find prices: https://www.renaultbelgard.ie/web/renault-electric-car-battery-cost/

Gumbo

Good luck trying to any EV in the future here in Ireland where the owner then has to continue the lease.

I would avoid any lease versions.

unkel

stesaurus wrote: »

You save thousands up front that would cover the cost of the lease for numerous years.

Yes, you are right there. After those several years though, you won't be able to sell the worthless car on. And you are still liable to pay the lease. Forever. Well until the car is scrapped. And even then you have to pay Renault finance to dismantle the car and ship the battery to France for recycling. Yes. You couldn't make this up.

Have a look at how many nearly new Zoes there are for sale for 5 or 6 grand in the UK. Nobody wants them. Even for half nothing.

Obviously if you are not going to pay the lease, you are onto a winner here. But you have to sign the lease so if you don't pay you are breaking the contract and you can be sued. But you might get away with it. Hundreds of thousands of people in this country got loans to buy fancy cars and they got credit cards, maxed them out and never paid them back...

...I am paying it back for them though, and funny enough, I don't really like paying back other people's debt :mad:

ei9go

Tried the Hyundai Kona order form on the UK website and as I have the original UK reg of my Zoe, I was able to see what part exchange they would offer. Picked car in good condition and it offered 6900 GBP for my 151 battery owned model.

Never saw one for that price or close.

unkel

That's far too cheap, ei9go. You should be able to sell it here privately for a lot more than that.

Andy From Sligo

just come across this thread because I have been enquiring about used Zoe from Charles Hurst in Belfast.

They said if the Zoe has an (i) after the model number it has the battery included and dont have to be rented.

But if you rent a battery and surely never own it, if the battery somehow goes damaged or not hold charge or something then surely if you are paying rental on it and it ever needs replacing then surely you dont pay the cost because you have been renting it and never own it. Have I that right?

I see from the the belgard renault that the battery rental also includes breakdown recovery for the vehicle in with the rental price but we are already with the AA so its a wonder they dont give an option to rent the batteries without breakdown assistance.

as far as I can make out there is no VRT on the imported car because it is electric but there is road Tax to be paid at €120 anually - have I that all right?

marklazarcovic

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

just come across this thread because I have been enquiring about used Zoe from Charles Hurst in Belfast.

They said if the Zoe has an (i) after the model number it has the battery included and dont have to be rented.

But if you rent a battery and surely never own it, if the battery somehow goes damaged or not hold charge or something then surely if you are paying rental on it and it ever needs replacing then surely you dont pay the cost because you have been renting it and never own it. Have I that right?

I see from the the belgard renault that the battery rental also includes breakdown recovery for the vehicle in with the rental price but we are already with the AA so its a wonder they dont give an option to rent the batteries without breakdown assistance.

as far as I can make out there is no VRT on the imported car because it is electric but there is road Tax to be paid at €120 anually - have I that all right?

Pretty much yes, the battery is owned by Renault for it's life,even after car is scrapped, you pay them to remove it.

On lease models

The battery owned ones are rare enough to find for sale.

I think you can swap out the 22 battery for the 40 and double range for a older Zoe,not sure if that's arrived here yet.

Andy From Sligo

I'm looking at a decent looking 2013 Zoe from up NI (much better prices up there compared to used Zoe's in the republic) but I am wondering about if the car is due its UK MOT and what happens when you get it down here and have to have it NCT'd - any problems with it or is it relatively smooth going?

So, theres no VRT charge on it correct, but then you still have to fill out the VRT forms is that right? and then anyone have an idea how much it costs to get the plates changed over to Irish reg?

also, what happens if I buy Zoe in NI and its got UK battery rental charge outstanding on it?

thanks.