Today in a press release, Renault finally confirmed the rumors that a new R110 motor for the Zoe was coming this year.

“Renault has revealed its new R110 electric motor and the 2018 model-year ZOE, Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle, which will be the first Renault EV to feature this 80kW powerplant which combines extra power with even greater driving enjoyment. Despite being the same size as the R90, the R110 is 12kW (16hp) more powerful than its predecessor. Drivers will benefit from crisper acceleration performance on trunk roads, since the new motor shaves almost two seconds off ZOE’s 80-to-120kph time. This is a significant improvement which provides even greater peace of mind at higher speeds.. At lower speeds, meanwhile, the R110 packs the same punch as the R90 from which it is derived thanks to the instant availability of peak torque of 225Nm, making ZOE as nimble as ever in urban areas.”

This is how Renault resumes it…

Renault has introduced a new 80kW electric motor, coming first on ZOE

The new R110 motor provides ZOE with extra punch and greater versatility when driving outside urban areas

The 2018 model-year ZOE features Android Auto compatibility and the addition of an exclusive new body colour

It seems that the new 80 kW motor will power other Renault electric cars someday in the future, since Renault says that it comes first on the Zoe.

Now this is just my wish, but now that the Zoe has the R110 motor and the ZE40 battery, Renault could bring the Twingo ZE with a R75/R90 motor combined with a ZE20 battery and it wouldn’t cannibalize sales… Don’t you think?

Renault could use the same LG Chem battery cells to build the ZE20 battery pack, but instead of 192 cells it would be using only half (96).

This way Renault would anticipate the arrival of the new VW electric city trio (Volkswagen e-up, Seat e-Mii and Skoda e-Citigo)…

Moving on, now lets take a look at the specs below.

The new Renault Zoe R110 has an estimated WLTP range of 300 km, which is more than what the new 2018 Nissan Leaf gets.

Furthermore, this electric car will keep the very useful 22 kW on-board charger and the only thing that’s missing for long-distance travels it’s the CCS fast charging capability. If Renault doesn’t announce it at Geneva motor show and delays it to next year it will be a major disappointment. While the current ZE40 batteries can’t sustain very high charging rates, it would be possible to maintain 40 kW via CCS. Faster charging (100 kW) should only be expected for a complete new generation with new batteries.

Anyway, if you live in France you can order the new Renault Zoe R110 already next month.

What do you think? Does a more powerful Zoe make the introduction of the long-delayed Twingo ZE closer to reality?

More info:

https://media.group.renault.com/global/en-gb/renault/media/pressreleases/21204254/encore-plus-de-plaisir-de-conduite-sur-zoe-le-vehicule-electrique-le-plus-vendu-en-europe-avec-le-no