The Renault Zoe Lease has always been a popular option for people wanting a great and functional electric vehicle at an amazing price.

When the Zoe first came to market, it wowed both the public and critics with its mix of a low price tag and a massive range; two of the thing that up until that point had been major grievance points with electric car leasing. However, recent advances in electric vehicles have lead to a new and exciting range of cars including the BMW i3 and pioneering PHEV vehicles such as the Range Rover and Mini Countryman PHEV.

To counter this Renault is now preparing to launch a brand new updated version of the Zöe. This update doesn’t actually see an increase in battery size to ensure that passenger space is not compromised. However the energy capacity has seen an increase from 41kWh to 52kWh. This has resulted in a 20% increase in the official range figures, being able to travel a massive 236 miles!

This is in stark contrast to another electric favourite, the Nissan Leaf that can only travel a further three miles despite costing almost £18,000 more.

Charging rate from a 7kW home charger takes 9hrs 25min or only 30 minutes if you are using a 50kW public fast charger. That fast charge will give you roughly 90 miles of driving.

Powertrains come with a 107bhp motor or a brand new 134bhp variant that is capable of getting from 0-62mph in less than 10 seconds.

The Renault Zoe also comes with the new “B” mode that makes stop-start driving really easy thanks to it’s elevated regenerative breaking. Additional safety features and driver aids also include automatic emeregancy breaking, lane keep assist and even traffic sign recognition and blindspot monitoring. All models receive LED headlights as standard to allow for improved road visibility.

If you want to learn more about the new Renault Zoe available on Non-Status Lease; read on!

The exterior design is otherwise an evolution of the outgoing Zoe’s, with the distinctive C-shaped rear pillars retained and the headlights still flowing into a huge Renault badge that doubles as the cover for the charging port.

However, it’s all change inside, with high-spec cars now getting a 9.3in, portrait-orientated touchscreen infotainment system which, among other things, can show the availability of charging points in real time.

It’s complemented by a 10.0in driver display screen that replaces traditional instruments and allows you to customise exactly what information is directly in front of you, and in what layout.

Things aren’t all digital, though; you adjust the air-con via conventional rotary dials, instead of through the touchscreen as you do in the new e-208, with our experience from other cars suggesting that the Zoe’s arrangement is likely to be much less distracting on the move.

The dashboard itself is trimmed in the same fabric as the seats, with the yarn for this 100% recycled if you go for Iconic spec, to boost the car’s eco credentials.

Meanwhile, the list of standard equipment includes keyless entry, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and two USB ports in the rear, so you’ll never have to worry about the kids’ phones, tablets or portable games consoles going flat.

As a bonus, if you download the My Renault app, you can remotely check the car’s battery level, programme the recharge cycle to correspond with tariff fluctuations from your electricity supplier, and plan routes that include the most suitable charging points to minimise travel time.

Whether Renault has been as successful at keeping the costs down as it has improving the range remains to be seen. However, the entry point will need to remain close to today’s £21,920 if the Zoe is not to look expensive next to the e-208 and Corsa-e. And, of course, like those rivals, it’s eligible for the Government’s £3500 electric car grant.