Appy, France - Electric cars are the future, or so they say, but are they a practical solution for everyone? What about those in small and isolated towns?
Now Renault has set out to prove that battery-powered motoring could be feasible for everyone, by giving a Renault Zoe EV to every household in the small French town of Appy, for a period of three years.
This has effectively created the first 100 percent electric town, in what Renault calls a “pioneering new scheme to prove electric mobility can be suitable for all”.
However, the French carmaker points out that this story is not as straightforward as it might appear at first. Appy, which is situated in the Ariege region in the south of France, is one of the most isolated towns in the country, which Renault says will not be a problem as the Zoe has a claimed range of 394km.
It’s also worth pointing out though that countries like South Africa have even bigger distances between towns, so what works in France won’t necessarily work here, but it is an interesting story nonetheless.
“Appy residents will run the Zoes for three years, sharing their impressions and experiences with Renault, in a first-time scheme that will likely inform and help understand the way customers interact with and use electric vehicles day to day,” Renault said.
“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. That also means the myths around buying and running an electric car can be dispelled once and for all.”
Of course, the town will have a public charger, while all households receiving the car will also be provided with a home charging system.
The Renault Zoe, which is about the size of a Clio, was recently given a makeover, where it received fresh styling as well as increased power and range.
It’s powered by a 100kW electric motor that gets the small hatch from 0-100km/h in under ten seconds.