Renault ZOE Hatchback

100kW Iconic R135 50kWh Boost Charge 5dr Auto [2022.5]

When you think about it, the ideal electric vehicle is not a huge SUV or a massive luxury saloon, but a little urban hatchback. Sure, a battery-powered 4x4 might provide a greater CO2 saving on paper, and they certainly provide more profit margin for the manufacturers, but they’re designed for long journeys – a discipline to which diesel power is particularly well suited.

City cars, on the other hand, are made for electric power. Low mileages mean range isn’t a great issue, and charging can be done on a wherever, whenever basis. You also avoid spewing nasty gases onto city streets, and the instant acceleration of an electric motor is well suited to zipping through urban traffic.

Despite this, the curvaceous Renault Zoe largely had this section of the market sewn up. With few obvious flaws and even fewer obvious rivals, it has almost automatically become the market leader. But the world is catching up, and numerous electric hatchbacks have hit the roads of the UK, including versions from Vauxhall, Peugeot and Mini. Against this newfound competition, is the Renault still among the best you can lease?