Renault Zoe
RS EV (rumor)
Renault Sport
might expand its operations to electrified vehicles such as the Zoe, which
could gain a high-performance variant.
A decision
has yet to be taken, as initial tests proved that the extra punch will
significantly affect the driving range, as Autocar reports, quoting the Renault
Sport chief Patrice Ratti.
"The
acceleration was good, especially from standstill. But we were amazed how much
circuit driving affects a car's battery endurance. If we drove our prototype
flat out on a circuit, the battery would only last 13 or 14 minutes - not be
enough to satisfy our customers."
Despite the
drawback, Renault's project hasn’t been shelved and the French could probably
make another attempt to put a high-performance version of the Zoe on the road,
as the supermini is believed to gain a larger battery by the end of the year.
If a Zoe RS will be green lighted, then the Clio RS will provide certain
components.
