Renault have made their mark in Formula E racing and really got behind the push to make electric vehicles a better everyday option. I recently took the opportunity to try two of Renault’s electric models to see if they could really compete with petrol and diesel cars.

The first model was Renault’s new Zoe Dynamique Nav R90 Z.E.40 – it looks and feels just like a normal car. It has an automatic gearbox, comfortable interior and is very solidly built. It has all the refinements – automatic climate control, rear parking sensors, multimedia touchscreen, automatic wipers etc. It’s when you start the Zoe up, on a button, that you realise it’s a bit different.

The car to have if you are a fan of classical music

The TFT dashboard lights up and instead of a rev counter you see a battery power monitor and mileage countdown, which indicates you have an electric power plant. When you pull away, the only noise you can detect are the wheels against the road – it’s perfectly silent. This is the car to have if you are a fan of classical music, as every octave of note would be heard.

I panicked as the air conditioning was on full blast and feared the battery would start running down quickly; but no, electric cars are now so perfect that even things that would normally consume power like mad really don’t. The Zoe’s range is over 200 miles, meaning you could easily travel to a meeting, charge the car while it takes place and travel back. The Zoe also has energy recovery via braking as you travel.

The passenger sits behind you, like in a fighter plane

The power delivery is good, with 92bhp (max speed 84mph) and it easily has enough power for motorway driving. Price-wise, the Zoe is £18,170 on the road (with battery rental from £59 per month); a four-year/100,000 mile warranty is included.

The other electric Renault I tested was the Twizy Dynamique. I know Sir Stirling Moss OBE owns one and if it has his stamp of approval it must be good. The doors open in a fantastic scissor fashion and you step in. The passenger sits behind you, rather like in a fighter plane. The display up front is digital and the seat belts are four-point so you feel very safe. The handbrake is under the dashboard, like an old Jaguar, and the automatic gearbox is on a push button. You just have D, N and R.

An instant sense of fun

Pulling away, you instantly have that sense of fun; if you have ever been karting it feels a bit like that. The max speed is 50mph, with a range of around 50 miles on one charge. It’s a perfect car for city driving and 0-28mph comes in 6.1 secs. The best thing about the Twizy is that it carries its own long lead with 3 pin UK domestic plug, hidden at the front, so you can charge it anywhere that has an electricity supply. It’s pretty cost effective too at £7,795 on the road, with battery rental from £45 per month.