DRIVEN OUT
Major car brand raises final curtain on its top-selling EV with production permanently ceased in shift to hybrid era
The brand is favouring two hybrid models
A MAJOR car brand has cut the power supply to its top-selling electric vehicle.
The last Renault Zoe rolled off the production line on Saturday.
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The French car titan churned out 400,000 of the five-door wonders in 12 years.
With a range of 245 miles and modest interiors, the Zoe was a simple and practical EV offering.
And with low-mileage second-hand models flogging for £5,000, it is unsurprising 30,000 of them wound up on Britain's roads.
Its popularity in the UK saw it become the country's best-selling car in 2015.
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Capable of hitting 0-62 mph in 9.5 seconds and boasting top speeds of 86mph, it was no shrinking violet.
But amid a "Renovation" and facing competition from the likes of the new all-electric Vauxhall Corsa and Citreon e-C3, the Zoe has been cast aside
If you're looking to buy an electric city car from Renault, you'll want to keep an eye out for the new Renault 5 E-TECH.
Company boss Fabrice Cambolive said: “It depends on the market.
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"If a market is fully electric, okay, but most markets will have pure electric for the compact segment, and until 2035, if needed, we will have Clio and Captur too.
"They will have hybrid technology because that’s our solution, the technological choice we made to replace the normal of the combustion engine.”
The end of production comes as Renault decided it would continue to offer customers an affordable petrol Clio.
The company had been aiming to produce the latest Clio as a hybrid, but delayed the move to help customers "in a difficult economic climate".
A Renault spokesperson said: “In order to meet the needs of some customers in a difficult economic climate, the new Clio will also be available with a 90bhp petrol engine.”
The model will boast a 1.0-litre engine, which can take drivers from 0 to 60mph in 12 seconds and offers around 50mpg.
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