‘We bought an electric Renault - and there's one major problem we've discovered'

A retired couple has fallen in love with their electric Renault ZOE but has been caught out by a strange charging glitch while topping up at home. Rose and Ian Ferguson from Maidstone in Kent purchased their electric vehicle back in 2020 after their son had already made the transition to electric vehicles.

The couple admit they have been very pleased with their Renault ZOE and have no intention to switch back to petrol or diesel models. However, they have been left frustrated after a glitch with their at-home charging station has left them unable to fill up their battery. The couple is now waking up to find their vehicle less than halfway full and capable of just over 100 miles.

Speaking to the Express, Rose said: “It’s been fine until the last few weeks and now it starts to charge and stops in the middle of the night. We’ve only got 42% charge and we were expecting 100%.

“We think it’s a software glitch between Octopus Energy and the charging port we’ve got. They are looking into it at the moment. It might be an update on the software and it crashes or something.”

The Renault ZOE has an estimated range of 245 miles, meaning a battery around 42% full could only reach 102 miles. Rose Ferguson, who is retired, admits that having their range substantially cut has still been a “pain.”

The pair have even suggested they could end up relying on their old diesel car for help if the issue isn’t quickly resolved.

Ian added: “It’s an inconvenience. We're both retired so it means we haven't got to get places and if we did have to go somewhere we have actually got a diesel car as well. But the diesel car sits in the drive and we use it once a month if we’re lucky.”

Initially, the couple were hesitant to make the leap and switch to electric cars, but stressed they still feel they made the right decision despite the small issues.

Rose added: "Generally we've been very pleased with it haven’t we. It’s very nippy. That's what I love about it. I couldn't believe how quickly we could get out of junctions and things like that.”

“It goes. At roundabouts, you don't have to worry. It's not sluggish like our old car was. That perspective we've found brilliant, I love from my perspective the automatic handbrake. Hill starts are never a problem.”

The Express has contacted Renault and Octopus for comment.