Interest for Renault ZOE surges in France & Germany

Renault’s fully-electric ZOE model is racking up huge sales in Europe, with over 11,000 orders placed in June.

In France, ZOE orders tripled year-on-year in June to a new record of 7,050, while in Germany the vehicle sold 1,990 models (up 117% year-on-year).

In Germany, private drivers can lease an electric car for as little as 39 euros a month ($64 AUD). Similarly in France, customers can lease the Zoe from 79 euros ($130 AUD) a month, thanks to subsidies up to 7,000 euros ($11,450 AUD) per car offered by the government.

The all-electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. is also doing good business, taking some 43% share in the light commercial EV market in France. Together with the commercial version of ZOE and Renault Master Z.E., Renault holds a nearly two-thirds share.

June was a record-breaking month for our #RenaultZOE, with more than 11,000 customer orders in Europe! ⚡??? France, the largest market for @Groupe_Renault‘s 100% #electric city car, also broke records with 3 times as many orders as in June 2019. A big thank you to all of you! pic.twitter.com/kBClfedUOq

— Groupe Renault | Electric (@GroupeRenaultEV) July 2, 2020

How would you like a Renault for free?

German subsidies for the vehicle are so strong that Autohaus Koenig, a dealership chain with more than 50 locations across Germany, have advertised a lease for the battery-powered Renault Zoe that is entirely covered by subsidies. Or in other words it is free!

In the 20 days since it put the offer online, roughly 3,000 people have inquired and about 300 have signed contracts.

“If we had more sales staff, we would have sold even more,” said Wolfgang Huber, head of electric-car sales for the dealer in Berlin, who published a Facebook post asking customers to be patient. “We did expect an increase in sales with the subsidies, but this run really struck us.”

What do you think? Would a similar campaign work in Australia?