May 22nd, 2010

A look at the Zoe ZE

Renault would like to name its new all-electric car the Zoe ZE (Zero Emission), which will launch in 2012. But not if one Zoe Renault, 23, has anything to do with it. Zoe Renault, the person (and no relation to the car company) is not happy about having the car named after her.

“I could not bear to hear: ‘Zoe’s broken down’ or ‘We need to get Zoe overhauled’,” she said. Renault, who lives in Paris, has a lawyer who is representing her and the other Zoes out there to try to prevent the car company from using their name.

A Renault spokesman said that giving a car a female name was not a new concept but that they have not definitively decided on that name yet. However, Renault has already started using the name on its website. Clearly this little car is being marketed to women and they even partnered with L’Oreal to create a system that flows particles into the car that hydrate the skin. It will be interesting to see which Zoe wins out and what this means for the future of naming cars after women.