New battery, old Zoe?

MichaelR

Hello,

So I already asked about upgradeables in general terms but now I want to understand one particular thing.

One can buy an older Renault Zoe with the battery lease thing. This one, for example: https://www.carsireland.ie/2960749 , a lovely specimen with a reversing camera and the like.

It's a 2015 model so probably has the 22 kWh battery, right?

So can I buy this car and then, instead of either continuing the lease or buying out that 22kWh battery, buy a new 41 kWh battery, officially, from Renault, and have it in this car? Some online sources do say such an upgrade is possible, but will Renault sell me the battery (and take back the leased one), and if so, what kind of price should I expect?

Also if this solution is possible, what are its drawbacks? Well, apart from having to live with the weaker 2015 motor.

the_amazing_raisin

You can probably give the battery back to Renault to end the lease

As for buying a battery from them, they probably won't sell you the 40kWh pack since that model isn't produced any more. They might sell you the 50kWh version, for a high price

Probably easier to source one online from another Zoe that got written off

Just to be clear, financially this isn't the best option. Increasing the battery isn't likely to increase the resale value since it's still an older car

Also, despite what some chancers on Facebook claim, changing the battery counts as a vehicle modification and needs to be declared to your insurance company

However if you're planning on keeping the car until it dies, and are interested from a technical standpoint, then go ahead and try

silver_sky

They did a limited number of battery swaps a few years ago but I didn't hear of any in Ireland. The ZE40 battery fits in the 22kWh ZOE but the ZE50 battery doesn't. Don't buy a 22kWh ZOE expecting them to sell or swap a new battery.

Gile_na_gile

I had this same question and rang a few dealers and Renault customer support. You can only buy out the battery in the UK, not Ireland. For this reason I got a ZE40 instead with ownership of battery since it is twice the range for 40% more in price.

UID0

I don't think you can buy out the battery lease here, but if you do, you own the battery. You would have to sell the battery privately (or use it for something else). If you want to end the lease, then you have to pay Renault to remove the battery. When they do, there are reports that the car is disabled from charging even if a new battery is installed, and you have to get Renault to re-enable charging (they can do this remotely or by plugging into the car, but if you get someone else to plug in and code the battery to the car, then Renault can disable it remotely again).

The ZE40 has been available since 2017, so buying a 2017 model would probably cost the same or less than a 2015 22kWh model and upgrading it to a 40kWh battery.