Renault ZOE gains new Venture Edition trim level

• 245-mile range
• Available from January
• Priced from £28,495

A new Renault ZOE Venture Edition trim level has been announced. Sitting just above the cheapest Play trim, the Venture Edition adds extra features and benefits from a 245-mile range, the highest in the ZOE line-up. Available to order from mid-January 2021, the new Venture Edition model starts from £28,495 after the plug-in car grant deduction has been applied.

In addition to the standard equipment you get on Play trim, the Venture Edition features sat nav, climate control, rear parking sensors, all-round electric windows and extra safety kit. Driver assistance features include lane-keeping assist, high-beam assist and autonomous emergency braking.

To maximise range, you get the 15-inch steel wheels from the base model, while the Iconic trim gets 16-inch alloy wheels. At the time of writing the Venture Edition is priced the same as the Iconic model, which also comes with a split-folding rear bench, wireless phone charging and synthetic leather trimmings.

Options include a winter pack, which adds heated seats and steering wheel. Buyers can also spec 50kW fast-charging, which is capable of charging the battery from zero to 80% in around an hour and ten minutes. The Venture Edition is fitted with the smaller ‘R110’ electric motor, and this offers a reasonably nippy 11.4-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 84mph.

Choosing the Iconic trim with the more powerful ‘R135’ motor is just £500 more than the new Venture Edition, and the extra power allows a 0-62mph time of 9.5 seconds while range to around 239 miles.

The 50kW fast-charging capability is £1,000 more to buy. About half of buyers choose it, as recharging to full from a 22kW public charge post takes three hours, while a 7kW wallbox takes nine and a half hours to reach full battery capacity.

Read our guide to the cheapest electric cars on sale now.