There’s extra. Though the important design has been in manufacturing 12 years, a latest Zoe feels totally trendy with its LED lights, computerized dipping, computerized wipers, computerized locking and completely respectable phone-connected audio and nav techniques.

Best of all, it’s enjoyable to drive. The journey is pretty gentle and properly damped in a approach that brings faint hints of nostalgia to somebody who drove numerous blancmange-like everyman Renaults again within the day, however these days you’ll be able to pitch your Zoe into roundabouts with out both the physique roll or the tyre-screeching understeer.

As with different EVs, regardless of its modest peak energy, there’s stunning torque to slingshot you off the mark, with out all of that clutch and gear-change nonsense. It’s easy, clear, environment friendly, fast and quiet.

Cars depart my place on a regular basis. Even if a automotive has a giant value and a giant identify, you fairly quickly turn into inured to any sense of loss. Sometimes you’re secretly happy to see a big-name automotive go, in the event you’ve prevented kerbing the wheels and no person’s swiped it in your watch and bunged it in a container certain for Africa.

But with the Zoe, we had been all so sorry to see it go. We virtually stood on the doorstep and waved it goodbye.

As it rolled away down the road, I had this loopy thought: was it actually too late to drop an “Are you sure about this, Luca?” e mail to CEO de Meo, asking for a keep of execution for a Renault of uncommon excellence? It was nonsense, in fact. It’s years too late.