New generation Renault ZOE battery details
The new generation Renault ZOE gets a WLTP range up to 395 km (245 miles) from its ZE 50 battery. As I wrote in the previous article, the battery pack is made with 192 LGX E78 battery cells from LG Chem.
Let’s see the details.
Battery cell
- Manufacturer: LG Chem
- Model: LGX E78
- Voltage: 3,65 V
- Capacity: 78 Ah
- Weight: 1.073 g
- Gravimetric energy density: 265 Wh/kg
- Chemistry: NCM 712
New generation ZE 50 battery
- Total battery capacity: 54,66 kWh
- Usable battery capacity: 52 kWh (95 %)
- Battery weight: 326 kg
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 168 Wh/kg
- Cells: 192 (96s2p)
- Total cell weight: 206 kg (63 %)
- TMS: active air cooling
This battery weighs 326 kg, of which 206 kg (63 %) are from the cells. The rest 120 kg (37 %) of the weight is from the metal cases, cabling, BMS (Battery Management System) and TMS (Thermal Management System).
New Renault ZOE
Curiously, in the new generation Renault ZOE the ZE 40 battery is identical to the ZE 50 battery, but its capacity is software-limited by the BMS (Battery Management System). It’s not the same ZE 40 battery that was available in the old generation.
New generation ZE 40 battery
- Total battery capacity: 54,66 kWh
- Usable battery capacity: 41 kWh (75 %)
- Battery weight: 326 kg
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 168 Wh/kg
- Cells: 192 (96s2p)
- Total cell weight: 206 kg (63 %)
- TMS: active air cooling
In the new generation Renault ZOE the ZE 40 battery is just a ZE 50 battery with capacity limited by the BMS
If you get a new generation Renault ZOE R110 with a ZE 40 battery, only 75 % of the total battery capacity is usable. This greatly improves its cycle life.
Do you remember the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt that was virtually immune to battery capacity degradation? Its LG Chem battery was only 60 % usable in the first generation and 75 % in the second.
Anyway, with the ZE 40 battery you get a WLTP range up to 317 km (197 miles), while with the ZE 50 battery you get a WLTP range up to 395 km (245 miles), which represents 25 % more. The price difference between the two battery options is 2.000 euros.
Having two identical battery packs configured with different usable capacities allows Renault to gather important information on battery degradation. However, for customers it would be more interesting to be able to set the maximum charge limit by themselves.
I would prefer to have 70-80 % of the total capacity available for daily driving and obtain full capacity when needed for occasional longer trips. Renault could easily launch a smartphone app to do this, as Volkswagen did for its new electric triplets UpMiiGo.
Slightly, confused, I didn’t think they were still selling ZE40’s?
In some countries you can order the new generation Renault ZOE and choose between a ZE 40 or ZE 50 battery.
https://www.renault.de/modellpalette/renault-modelluebersicht/zoe/konfigurator1.html#configure
Hey Pedro, what do you think about the Renault battery tech? Will they last as long as liquid cooled batteries?
Hi LarsP.
I think it’s pretty good. In a Renault ZOE you are more likely to have a problem with the drivetrain than with the battery.
I just wished that we could set a charging limit to further improve its cycle life.
Wasn’t it mostly the R90 that had drivetrain problems?
If you charge the Zoe at 22 kW it turns on the battery cooling even on mild days. If you charge at 11 kW it doesn’t seem to get warm enough to turn on the cooling, at least not in mild temperatures. So I think the charging speed is important, I could image that a Q-drivetrain charging at 43 kW could be harder on the battery.
I think that R (made by Renault) drivetrains are more reliable than the discontinued Q (made by Continental) drivetrains. So far it seems that the R110 and R135 drivetrains are the most reliable of the bunch, but maybe it’s only because they are recent and didn’t have the time to show problems yet…
I hope we see this battery size (at least) in the next Kangoo/NV250. BTW, Chinese cargo vans are a very serious competitors and are already here. Arrived earlier than Xpeng 😉
Thanks for your work Pedro.
Hi. I have R110 Zoe ,is it possible to check which battery it has new or old type? Or all R110’s has a new type batteries for sure?