Renaul Zoe & Battery Lease

Buzby

A warning to anyone who has purchased their Zoe outright and entered into a (mandatory) lease for the vehicle battery may get a very nasty shock from the finance house (RCI) that takes payment for the battery.

When you reach the end of your contracted payments RCI give you 3 options:

(a) Sell your car privately, and get the new owner to complete a new battery lease. (They must be credit checked)
(b) Sell or trade-in your car to an established motor dealer - getting the dealer to sign the battery lease.
(c) Enter into a renewed contract for the battery, and be credit checked again.

Now remember, the car is still yours! You could give them the battery back, but the car is useless without.

If you decide to sell your car, few dealers are prepared to accept it, even Renault ones, as the battery lease pewvents them from taking full ownership. A 2-year old Zoe, which cost £17k and should sell for £7k, is taken off your hands for £1,500, less - if your car has to be transported to the Midlands.

Being green means you get shafted and Renault really don't care.

almillar

anyone who has purchased their Zoe outright

Anyone who asked about doing this (on this forum, the Speak EV forum and the My Renault Zoe forum, as well as Renault dealerships, has been advised against buying outright for the reason you give, as well as the 'new technology' and 'unknown depreciation' arguments. I think that leasing the battery was actually meant to ease those concerns!
Mine's leased for 2 years and will be going straight back at the end, hopefully with no hassle.

I agree that (c) shouldn't really be necessary if you're annoyed about that, but surely you knew that SOMETHING had to be done with a battery you hadn't bought?

dannyrst

So you can remove the battery, stop the lease and be left with the shell. Surely the shell sells for more than £1,500?

forgotmyname

Im sure someone out there will be able to source a battery pack, maybe not a Nissan one but people have converted petrol engined vehicles to electric.

Is it worth £1500? Maybe to someone. The motor and cotnroller is probably worth more.

almillar

maybe not a Nissan one

A Renault one would fit a Renault Zoe better.

Renault are now selling the Zoe with a 41kWh battery, giving almost twice the range of the original 22kWh one. It is the same size and shape, and very slightly heavier, and they have said that they CAN upgrade the original cars. They said they'd announce more details (like, you know, COST!) in the new year. Here we are. Maybe a battery upgrade would be a good idea. The battery will be expensive though!