The ZOE finished first and second in the all-electric vehicle class in the 2016 e-Rallye Monte-Carlo.

• Four Renault crews started the demanding e-Rallye Monte-Carlo for clean cars
• The ZOE finished first and second in the all-electric vehicle class
• French model, actress and TV presenter Adriana Karembeu defended Renault’s colours with a spirited performance for her maiden participation

The drama-packed 2016 e-Rallye Monte-Carlo saw Renault ZOEs combine second and third places overall with victory in the all-electric vehicle class. 

This year’s event took the challenge a step further with a 1,300-kilometre route that incorporated six timed regularity zones (RZ), with some of the action taking place after nightfall. 

The French model, actress and TV presenter Adriana Karembeu came 17th out of 34 starters in the N°2 ZOE. It was a memorable human and technological adventure for every one of the four crews entered by Renault.

The ZOE: number one in motorsport and for everyday use

Following back-to-back victories on the Rallye Monte-Carlo ZENN (Zero Emissions, No Noise) organised by the ACM (Automobile Club de Monaco) in 2014 and 2015, Renault decided to defend its record on this unique event this time around. 

For 2016, the competition was renamed the e-Rallye Monte-Carlo and featured classes for all types of energy (all-electric, hybrid, fuel cell, etc.), with the exception of 100-percent fossil fuels. 

At the recent Paris Motor Show, Renault – an electric vehicle pioneer and the number one EV seller in Europe for the past four years – revealed that it has doubled the driving range of the ZOE. 

The top-selling model, a favourite with families and businesses alike, now boasts an NEDC range of 400 kilometres, equivalent to a real-world range of approximately 300 kilometres and a performance that allows users to put charging-related concerns to the back of their mind. 

Orders are already open for ZOEs equipped with the new Z.E.40 battery and deliveries are due to begin before the end of the year. Taking part in the e-Rallye Monte-Carlo was consequently an entirely logical decision.

The 2016 e-Rallye Monte-Carlo (October 12-16) started in Fontainebleau, near Paris, France, and ended in Monaco. The entry list featured 34 crews who represented most of the manufacturers active in the market. 

Groupe Renault entered four ZOEs: two for specialists Greg Jonkerlynck / Yves Munier and Aurore Ferry / Pascal Ferry, plus one for Norwegian journalist Gro Flaaten and a fourth for French bloggers Alexandre Stricher (Autocult) / Michael Torregrossa (Automobile-Propre). Meanwhile, Adriana Karembeu was part of the all-lady crew in the N°2 ZOE. 

With previous participations on the Rallye des Princesses and the Rallye des Gazelles to her name, the French model, actress and TV presenter is no stranger to motorsport. 

She also shares the values championed by Renault and, throughout the e-Rallye Monte-Carlo, was her usual vibrant and charming self, always happy to take time to chat with her many fans.

At the end of the four-day competition, which packed its fair share of surprises and drama (including a power cut across the whole of one town, punctures, torrential rain and night-time action until four o’clock in the morning), the ZOE not only topped the final order in the all-electric vehicle class but also claimed second and third places overall. 

Third spot went to the Renault squad’s two bloggers in a car equipped with the new Z.E. 40 battery, while runner-up honours were bagged by privateers Christophe PONSET / Serge PASTOR whose ZOE was powered by a battery with a range of 240km, proof of the ZOE’s capabilities irrespective of generation.

Alexandre Stricher (www.autocult.fr), 3^rd overall:

“The level of the entry was much higher this year. The status of the e-Rallye Monte-Carlo is growing fast and the organisers served us with a genuinely challenging event. 

Our ZOE was equipped with the new Z.E. 40 battery and we were able to cross France without having to worry about running out of power. 

We prepared carefully and, with road sections of up to 240 kilometres in length, we obviously had our eyes on the satnav, but never on the battery gauge. 

Renault has sparked a revolution in the world of affordable electric cars and we completed the rally ahead of models like the BMW i3, the Kia Soul, the Volkswagen E-Golf and even the Tesla S! We could have exceeded distances of 340km during the rally and I am certain we could even exceed 400km in real-world use. That’s my personal challenge!”

Renault would like to thank the crews for their commitment, sportsmanship and good humour.

Find leg-by-leg reports on the Renault blog: https://group.renault.com/actualites/blog-renault

FINAL OVERALL POSITIONS

1, Artur PRUSAK (POL) / Thierry BENCHETRIT (FRA), Toyota Mirai

2, Christophe PONSET (FRA) / Serge PASTOR (FRA), Renault ZOE

3, Alexandre STRICHER (FRA) / Michael TORREGROSSA (FRA), Renault ZOE

ITINERARY

Day 1 (October 12)

Fontainebleau to Nevers (198km / 2h40m) via A19, A77 and N7

Battery charge (1 hour) at Renault Simmoneau Automobiles, Nevers

Nevers to Moulins (65km / 45 mins) via N7

Battery charge (30 minutes) at Leclerc Avermes supermarket

Day 2 (October 13)

Moulins to Saint Etienne (179km / 2h30m) via N7

Battery charge (2½ hours) at Renault Liogier La Talaudière

Saint Etienne to Circuit d’Alès (221km / 4h30m), via les Monts de l’Ardèche and Col de la Fayolle on D122 (altitude: 877 metres)

Battery charge (2½ hours) at a public car park

Day 3 – October 14)

Regularity test (Circuit d’Alès)

Alès to Nimes (52km / 50 mins)

Battery charge (1 hour) at LIDL supermarket, Nimes

Nimes Town Hall to Fontvielle (35km / 40 mins)

RZ1: Fontvielle-Eyguières (34km / 40 mins)

Eyguières to Manosque (82km / 1h20m), via D23, D973 and D996

Battery charge (2 hours) at Renault Manosque

RZ2: Manosque-Montmeyan (46km / 1 hour)

RZ3: Régusse-Draguignan (42km / 1 hour)

Draguignan to Monaco (112km / 2 hours) via A8

Battery charge (2 hours) at the Novotel, Monaco

Day 4 – October 15

Monaco to Castillon (23km / 50 mins)

RZ4, RZ5 and RZ6: Castillon-Sospel (62km / 2 hours)

Sospel to Monaco (30km / 45 mins)

Renault to take part in e-Rallye Monte-Carlo for third time with four ZOEs with new Z.E. 40 battery.

• Renault to take part in e-Rallye Monte-Carlo for third time
• Four ZOEs with new Z.E. 40 battery will take part in the event
• ZOE has won the event twice before, in 2014 and 2015
• This year’s event runs from October 12^th to 16^th, starting in Fontainebleau

Renault is taken part for the third time in the e-Rallye Monte-Carlo (October 12-16) for zero CO₂emissions vehicles for the third time. 

The entry consists of four ZOEs, all equipped with the new Z.E. 40 battery that is now available for the model. The event runs from Fontainebleau, near Paris, to Monaco. 

After winning in both years it has participated, in 2014 and 2015, the ZOE will this year benefit from twice the driving range to take its crews even further still. 

Renault is also pleased to announce that the actress and model Adriana Karembeu is part of its driver line-up for this year’s rally.

The pioneering spirit of the FIA-sanctioned e-Rallye Monte-Carlo is founded on a unique combination of human endeavour and advanced technologies. 

Open to zero-emissions, CO₂-free vehicles, the 36-strong field will start this year’s competition in Fontainebleau (70km south of Paris) and travel across France to the event’s climax in the Principality of Monaco.

Now equipped with a new battery that has doubled the model’s NEDC-cycle driving range to 250 miles, the Renault ZOE - which is targeting its third e-Rallye Monte-Carlo success from three starts – stands out as the ideal companion for weekends away, holidays and discovering new horizons, even in the world of motorsport. 

This year’s rally is sure to put competing vehicles to a challenging test thanks to a program that incorporates 220 miles of competitive action, including a visit to the famous Col de Turini.

The ZOE is the European market’s number one electric vehicle with more than 50,000 registrations since its launch, and the crews of the four cars entered for the e-Rallye Monte-Carlo will be looking to steer it to the top of the finish podium in Monaco on Sunday, October 16. One of the four drivers defending its chances will be Adriana Karembeu. The model, actress and TV presenter – who has a keen interest in motorsport (Rallye des Gazelles, Rallye des Princesses) and who is also an active fund-raiser for charities like the French Red Cross and Reporters Sans Frontières – will contribute her charisma and driving skills to Renault’s bid for outright victory.

WHAT CAR AWARDS - SEAT takes the best buy award for the LEON SC for the third time.

• SEAT Leon SC triumphs as Best Buy Coupé (less than £25,000) at What Car? Awards 2016
• Winning version, SEAT Leon SC FR 1.4 EcoTSI 150 PS praised as a “cracking buy” for its handling, performance, practicality and value

SEAT is kicking off 2016 in cava style, having picked up yet another highly coveted trophy at the annual What Car? Awards. At a suitably glitzy ceremony held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel tonight, SEAT’s sleek three-door Leon fought off fierce competition from two rivals to land the Best Buy Coupé (less than £25,000) category for the third time on the bounce.

Wider and shorter than its five-door brother, the Leon SC (Sports Coupé) combines the head-turning looks and agile nature of a coupé, with the practicality of a hatchback. The winning version, Leon SC FR, is available from only £20,225 and comes comprehensively equipped, with 17-inch ‘Dynamic’ alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, exclusive FR sport styling inside and out, plus Technology Pack included (which comprises Navigation System with 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, DAB digital radio, full LED lights). The svelte three-door bodystyle of SEAT’s best-selling model is available with either a precise six-speed manual gearbox or slick-shifting seven-speed DSG auto, and comes with a choice of seven diesel and petrol engines, including the even more potent CUPRA 290.

Commenting on the Leon SC’s third consecutive victory, Haymarket’s Editorial Director, Jim Holder, said, “Is it a coupé or is it a three-door hatch? We think the Leon SC just qualifies as the former and there’s no question it’s a cracking buy. For a fraction more than £20,000 you’re getting a car that’s as fun to drive as many hot hatches and which is remarkably well equipped. The SC’s hatch roots make it practical; two adults will fit in the back seats easily enough and the boot is just as big as a five-door Leon’s. We’ve chosen the 148bhp 1.4 TSI petrol version, partly because it has enough performance to entertain (0-62mph takes less than eight seconds) but also because its CO₂ emissions are a diesel-rivalling 114g/km. This efficiency is partly thanks to the engine’s clever trick of being able to shut down half of its cylinders when cruising to save fuel.

He continued, “The Leon SC had to fend off the similarly slinky Volkswagen Scirocco and the more focused Toyota GT-86. It did so easily, winning this price point for a third year on the trot.”

Speaking at the awards bash, SEAT UK’s Director, Richard Harrison, added, “After winning the same category for the last two years, we were quietly confident about our chances this time around. But to win it yet again, especially against such tough opposition, is testament to the Leon SC’s enticing, all-round qualities. It’s got real substance backing up its eye-catching style, with performance, quality and value-for-money in spades.”

Aston Martin Lagonda wins Sword of Honour for the third time, thats how to look after your colleagues.

Aston Martin Lagonda has won a third prestigious Sword of Honour from the British Safety Council for its outstanding commitment to health and safety at work. The award was presented in a recent ceremony at the historic Drapers’ Hall in the City of London.

The British luxury sports car maker was one of 50 organisations worldwide presented with a coveted Sword of Honour, presented as a mark of excellence in the management of health and safety. 

It is the third time Aston Martin has won the British Safety Council prize, having become the first automotive manufacturer in the 35-year history of the awards to achieve the Sword of Honour back in 2012. 

In order to compete for the accolade, an organisation first has to achieve the maximum five stars in the British Safety Council’s health and safety management audit scheme. Organisations must also demonstrate to an independent panel of experts their excellence in health and safety management throughout the business – from the shop floor to the boardroom.

In a congratulatory message to the Sword of Honour winners and the British Safety Council, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The Health and Safety Sword of Honour awards provide an opportunity to publicly recognise this contribution and encourage good performance and practise in the management and control of safety, health and environmental risks. This work is important in reducing the costs to society and individuals arising from poor management of real risks.”

The trophy was presented to Aston Martin staff members Gemma Stoyles, Health & Safety Advisor; and Jacquie McNicholas, Project Engineer.

Neal Stone, Policy and Communications Director at the British Safety Council, said: “Our warmest congratulations to Aston Martin. These awards recognise and celebrate the efforts of businesses at the forefront of managing health, safety and environmental risks. 

“The Sword of Honour-winning organisations share a commitment and resolve to achieving the highest standards of health, safety and to keeping their employees and those affected by their work activities healthy and safe.”