Au revoir: Renault is killing off the Zoe electric supermini

In a week where taking tiny cars off sale seems to be the prevailing trend, Renault has confirmed the all-electric Zoe will no longer be on sale in the UK and Europe.

Like the Honda e, there’ll be test drives and configurators on the brand’s site working until all the current stock is sold. But production is set to come to a complete stop on 30 March 2024. Boo.

Renault has confirmed the demise of the Zoe is to make way for the much-awaited, retro-styled Renault 5, due to launch in Geneva next year. The latest iteration gave the Zoe a 52kWh battery, the same size as the one going into the R5. Both have similar ranges too.

For the last 11 years, the Zoe – alongside the Nissan Leaf – has challenged misconceptions about electric propulsion. Initially sold with a leaseable battery (a contract which will be supported for the customers affected), the latest iterations of the Zoe included battery ownership.

Over a decade, it’s a model that’s sold more than 30,000 units in the UK, taking the title of ‘bestselling EV’ in the region for 2015 and 2016. In 2020, it took the crown for TopGear.com's Best Supermini of the Year.

It’s been a busy week already for Renault Group. While there’s no official line from either brand yet, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported Renault is in ‘early talks’ to partner with Volkswagen, in the latter’s ambition to make a sub-£17k (€20k) electric city car.

That makes sense. During the reveal of the all-new Twingo, Renault Group boss Luca de Meo said: “We are confident in its potential to be a real game‑changer because we know we have a great track record with these kinds of projects.

“We have ongoing discussions with OEM partners to share the development costs.”

We’re expecting a 'TwinUp' announcement any day now.