Demand for Renault's £199 a month electric cars soars in Milton Keynes

Data shows how sales of the car, which is Europe's number one bestselling electric vehicle, topped 100,000 in 2020.

The highest number of buyers have been in London. But the second highest hotspot is Milton Keynes

Since the first-generation ZOE arrived in January 2013, 10.6 per cent of all sales have taken place in MK, the figures have revealed,

The data, released to coincide with the annual Earth Day event, underlines Renault’s ongoing commitment to pure- electric vehicles.

ZOE boasts several prestigious award wins including What Car? ‘Best Small Electric Car for Value’ 2021 and Top Gear 'Best Supermini’ 2020.

Electrified vehicles accounted for 28.5 per cent of the 2020 UK new car market– up from 10.7 per cent previously. There was a 185.9 per cent rise in demand for EVs in 2020 alone, with the Renault ZOE recording a sales increase of 145 per cent compared to the previous 12 months.

This analysis follows the UK government’s announcement at the end of 2020 that it will bring forward the ban of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK in nine years, to 2030.

The plan will mean car buyers will have to switch to all-electric vehicles or hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles with owners being incentivised to make the switch.

The latest ZOE, which can run for 245 miles on a charge, is available from £27,495 and finance starts at £199 a month in Play specification.

PiCG, the Plug-in Car Grant from the government, provides £2,500 towards the cost of an electric car below £35,000.

Tom Barker, Electrification Manager, Renault UK, said: “This data not only confirms that the ZOE has been popular with buyers living in busier, urban areas, but also those in more suburban and rural areas.

"Due to the ZOE’s 245-mile maximum range between charges and versatile charging options it’s easier than ever to own and enjoy the benefits of EV, no matter where you live. What this also shows is that there’s huge untapped potential for millions of road users waiting to reap the benefits of all-electric driving around the UK.”

Milton Keynes is well ahead of the curve on the green transport revolution, new figures suggest, with among the best access to electric car charging points.

There are 105 charging points per 100,000 people, putting Milton Keynes eighth of 382 council areas across the UK for accessibility, excluding the City of London.

Two new hubs are currently planned for Stony Stratford and Central Milton Keynes. Bothwill host a community electric vehicle car club that will be operated by Enterprise Car Club.

They will provide electric vehicles, based at each hub, that can be rented by the hour or day, with 24/7 access 365 days of the year.

And by early 2022, the state-of-the-art hubs will even have wireless charging points, to avoid the need for plug in cables.