French town runs entirely on electric vehicles after Renault gives free car to every resident

Content of the article

Renault transformed transportation in a small town in France to 100% electric, providing every resident with a new ZOE electric car in a bid to show that the widespread adoption of electric vehicles can work.

Content of the article

The town of Appy in Ariège in the south of France is the subject of the electric car project. Residents will have access to the New ZOE for three years; each household will also receive an EV charger.

We apologize, but this video failed to load.

French town runs entirely on electric vehicles after Renault gives free car to every resident Back to video

However, giving an entire city electric cars is not that simple. Appy is an extremely isolated commune (it is not even considered a city), the nearest large city is Toulouse, and even this one is 115 km away. Don’t worry, the ZOE has a few things up its sleeve.

The ZOE is a small electric sedan with an impressive range of 245 miles (394 km). Even though the European rating system is a little more optimistic than our North American system, it’s still an impressive number for a small sedan. This range is achieved by its 52 kWh battery, which can be charged up to 90% in just 30 minutes when plugged into a DC charger.

Content of the article

Just because it’s a small hatch with a big reach doesn’t mean it’s a stripped-down hyper-miler, either; the ZOE has a 10-inch instrument display; up to 9.3 inch touchscreen; a suite of driver assistance systems; and even recycled seat materials on some models.

So, aside from the free giveaways, it’s not hard to see why the ZOE has already sold over 100,000 units in Europe, despite its introduction in early 2020. If you buy one instead of receive one for three years, Renault gives you a free home. Wallbox for faster home charging, plus a five-year 100,000-mile warranty, including three-year roadside assistance; and an eight-year 100,000 mile battery warranty.