Battery size: 64kWh
Max charge rate: 150kW
Range: 297 miles
Efficiency rating: A
Real world miles per kWh: 3.8
One of the strangest parts of the RZ is the door handles. It’s officially called the ‘e-Latch electronic door release’ and it means you gently squeeze a handle on the outside and push a lever inside. There is much less effort involved compared to a conventional handle and it has safety advantages, as it will not open if there is a car of cyclist passing.
It sounds incredibly lazy, but I suddenly begrudge the effort of pulling an old fashioned handle when I’m in another car. What I don’t miss is having the explain how it works to passengers who have not been in the car before. They inevitably pull the handle, which only works if you do it twice – which is presumably meant as an emergency override. It also won’t open at all unless the car is in ‘Park’ or you’ve pressed the unlock button. It can get a bit fraught sometimes.
But the news is good on the efficiency. The RZ is averaging 3.8 miles per kWh. That’s an improvement of 52% over the RZ450e I ran previously. That’s astonishing.
In terms of drivability, it is clearly not as fast but I’ve never thought the 300e is slow. There is also a little bit of wheel scrabble if you accelerate hard but it’s well controlled. The 4x4 model has less power at the rear anyway, so it feels little different. I’m not sure what the difference would be like in snow, but if it were my car I’d spend the money I save on a set of all-season or winter tyres.
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