Renault’s latest ZOE electric vehicle has a range of up to 250 miles which is the longest of any mainstream EV.

The car, which was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this week, is fitted with the new Z.E. 40 battery, which allows the car to cover twice the distance delivered by the model at the time of its original launch. In real-world driving, Renault estimates the new Z.E. 40 battery has a range of 186 miles.

The ZOE is the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe and provides a real alternative to internal combustion-engine cars, since average daily commuting distances are well within the ZOE’s capabilities.

The new battery removes the final psychological barrier that stands in the way of buying an electric car, so-called ‘range anxiety’, since ZOE users can now travel further and enjoy a wider variety of driving situations without worrying about charging.

The time required to charge the new battery is similar to that necessary for the standard battery, so topping up doesn’t take very long at all. For example, just 30 minutes is required on average to charge the battery for an extra 50 miles of driving range when plugged into one of the many public charging points in operation. The ZOE continues to be available with the Quick Charge function to take full advantage of the maximum capacity of fast charging points located predominantly along motorway corridors.

Rather cleverly, Renault and LG engineers have succeeded in increasing the storage capacity without making the battery any bigger or much heavier. It was optimised by working on the chemistry of the cells in order to increase their energy density, rather than stacking additional battery modules, a commonly used technique. This major new technology has been developed while ensuring the battery’s reliability and safety.