An Entire Village in Southern France is Getting Free Renault Zoes and Chargers

By B. O’Hare

Every household in the French village of Appy will get a Renault Zoe and home charger as part of a 3-year testing scheme, it has been revealed. Renault are doing so to “help understand the way customers interact with and use electric vehicles day to day” and to show that “if the inhabitants of one of the country’s most isolated towns can adopt an electric way of life, it’ll prove that everyone can.”

So, just how remote is Appy? Well the nearest major city, Toulouse, is over 70 miles (114km) away. With a population of just 26, the majority of residents often commute giving Renault a good chance to prove just how useful the new 2020 Zoe can be, with its heavily upgraded 52kWh battery pack capable of 242 miles per charge (390km).

The new Zoe has been on sale in Europe for the past few months, and is doing extremely well with over 37,540 units sold since January – a seriously impressive figure, especially considering the current circumstances with COVID-19. Pricing varies throughout different European nations, but the Zoe typically starts at between €23,000 and €27,000 ($27-31k) after incentives. Are you a fan of Renault’s all-electric hatchback? Let us know your thoughts below!