Renault Zoe at the Monte Carlo eRally (Francais / French)
218 views · Published 1 November 2017 · 27:31 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: The Wheel Network · 2017 · Autos & Vehicles
On its fourth appearance at the "zero emissions" rally organised by the Automobile Club de Monaco, Renault entered five ZOEs on the course from Fontainebleau to Monaco. At the end of three incident-packed legs, ‘Greg’ the photographer and his co-driver Yves Munier finished fifth overall in the eRally. Driven by a strong sense of team spirit, the five fiercely competitive Z.E. ZOE Team crews illustrated just how effective all-electric and zero emissions mobility can be. With twelve ZOEs and two Kangoos on the entry list, Renault was the most-represented manufacturer at this year's Monte-Carlo eRally, underlining its position as the top-selling brand in Europe of electric vehicles. For the start on Wednesday 25 October, all the competitors met up in the grounds of the Château de Fontainebleau for pre-event technical scrutineering. Focussed and yet relaxed, the Z.E. ZOE Team crews checked over the route and looked at how the timing system used during the Regulatory Test Sections (RTS) worked. To get from Fontainebleau to Monaco, the route headed first of all for Aveyron! Following a first recharge of the ZOEs at the Magny-Cours racetrack, then an overnight stop in Vichy, the Renault crews made it to Onet-le-Château without incident. On Friday, things became a bit more complicated with the first Regulatory Test Sections (RTS). The idea was to stick to an average speed defined by the organisation as closely as possible, with the help of an electronic timing system. This can be a tricky exercise, in which you have to not go too quickly, nor too slowly, and adopt an eco-driving approach that preserves the range of the vehicle. ‘Greg’ the photographer – a two-time winner of the event in a ZOE in 2015 and 2016 – and his co-driver Yves Munier proved to be fairly adept at this exercise, producing a fine performance in the opening RTS to complete a lap of the Alès track within a second of the expected time. A little later, the all-female crew of the Z.E. ZOE Team caused a stir between Anduze and Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort. More used to driving 24 Hours of Le Mans prototypes, Inès Taittinger demonstrated her ability to adapt to a different category in claiming second position on RTS2. She was assisted in her efforts by the race craft of ‘Biche’, the famous co-driver and winner of the 1973 Rallye Monte-Carlo in an Alpine A110 driven by Jean-Claude Andruet. The rest of the rally did not go so well for the two women, who dropped out of contention for the win after suffering a handling issue with the timing system on RTS3 (Maussane-les-Alpilles – Eyguières). After these highs and lows, the Renault ZOEs and the crews recharged their batteries at Salon-de-Provence's famous 701 air base, next to the Alpha Jets of the French Air Force. Before making it to the Principality, there were still two RTSs to contest: Trets/Peyrolle-en-Provence and Aups/Draguignan. This part of the course proved terminal for the hopes of Guillaume Nedelec and Serge Lombard, who dropped out of the top ten overall after getting stuck behind a vehicle driving slowly on the countryside roads! The event was set to finish in style, with two RTSs contested after dark on the legendary Col de Turini! ‘Greg’ and Yves Munier remained in contention for the overall win from their fifth position, as did Pascal Ferry and ‘Gilliocq’, who were ninth at that point. Between Sospel and Peïra-Cava, the ZOEs produced a fine group result, with Gilles Gard/Cyril More (Team Gard – Un Dakar pour la vie) winning the test, whilst Ferry/‘Gilliocq’ and ‘Greg’/Munier closed on their rivals in taking third and fourth places respectively. Unfortunately, RTS7 was cancelled due an accident that blocked the traffic and so the standings finished unchanged. The Z.E. ZOE Team therefore finished with two crews in the top 10, but ultimately, the result wasn't the most important thing. In racing on some of the finest roads in France over the last four days, the crews were able to enjoy the driving pleasure, comfortable range and peace of mind offered by Renault ZOE. Monte-Carlo eRally standings: 1. Didier Malga / Anne-Valérie Bonnel (Tesla S) 43 points 2. Piotr Moson / Jérémie Delran (BMW i3) 54 points 3. Frédéric Mlynarczyck / Christophe Marques (Toyota Mirai) 57 points … 5. ‘Greg’ / Yves Munier (Renault ZOE) 61 points … 7. Pascal Ferry / ‘Gilliocq’ (Renault ZOE) 66 points … 14. Stéphane Lahausse / Lionel Billard (Renault ZOE) 192 points … 20. Guillaume Nedelec / Serge Lombard (Renault ZOE) 361 points … 23. Inès Taittinger / ‘Biche’ (Renault ZOE) 1036 points
