If your Renault Zoe R240 (and old Q210) isn’t charging at a AC station – don’t panic, something probably “exploded.” but we can repair it.
Every month, we receive over 10 vehicles with various symptoms and causes of charging failure. The charging system consists of three key components: rotor windings (electric motor), EMI filter, and BCB module – and the fault can be in one, or even all of them.
If only the BCB is replaced and the new charging issue reappears, warranty does not cover the typical complaint “it’s not charging again,” because the root cause could be something on other components in the rotor or the EMI filter. If we followed the approach of authorized services and replaced everything blindly, the repair cost for the Zoe’s onboard charger would reach around €8000 + VAT – just for parts.
Our mission is to make Renault Zoe repairs sustainable, so we approach the issue sequentially: we analyze the entire system and only repair what’s actually defective.
Example: The EMI filter (MAHLE, new unit: €3400 + VAT) had a melted precharge resistor sealed in epoxy – making it irreparable. New units are overpriced, and used ones are rare and still expensive.
Another common issue is the Infineon IGBT module FS200T12A1T4, which is not commercially available. If we don’t have it in stock, we’re forced to replace the entire BCB and program it manually.
The design flaw of the entire system lies in poor thermal dissipation: the IGBT is cooled directly to an aluminum casing that must dissipate 22 kW of power (converting AC to DC to charge the high-voltage battery) across a surface of just 13 cm x 7 cm – leading to overheating and failure. Also, if you’re charging with an empty or faulty A/C system, it’s only a matter of time before we meet.
A dangerous side effect of OBC system failure in the Zoe – one that even charging station operators may not be aware of: The Zoe can destroy the charger itself, and sometimes even all vehicles plugged in within a 20-meter radius (we’ve witnessed this multiple times).
Prevention? Other than ensuring the air-conditioning system is properly filled and functioning flawlessly – none.
Unstable grid conditions are the most common cause of OBC failure, especially on the Renault ZOE with the Q drive system. A case from Serbia a few months ago remained unresolved because an explosion destroyed a significant part of the EMI filter PCB. At the time, we assumed it was an isolated incident. However, another case has recently come from Bosnia with the same problem. The OBC consists of the FS200T12A1T4 Infineon HybridPACK1 IGBT, which is no longer manufactured, and the EMI filter. The system is incredibly poorly designed, using an IGBT typically meant for driving electric motors, directly connected through the EMI filter to the Type 2 port without a fuse. Any overvoltage in the grid or short circuits in the microgrid cause short circuits in the EMI filter, BCB, and the car’s battery, leading to damage of the varistor, which burns out the PCB and other components. All other manufacturers use fuses on the AC input of the OBC in their vehicles. Whoever designed this system should be fired immediately.
Due to its design, the Zoe faces numerous issues with charging, overheating during charging, and OBC charger failures. The worst part is that the OBC is so complexly designed that it is extremely difficult to service. The components are clumsily arranged in an aluminum box, with wires running through small holes in the box to the BCB, and every part of the charger is designed to make servicing difficult. This design approach by the engineers fails to consider sustainability or affordable repairs, and the replacement parts are unjustifiably expensive. Additionally, their parts are unjustifiably expensive. A new EMI filter costs around 1800€ (with the BCB adding 1500€ for the entire OBC assembly), while a used one ranges from 1000€ to 1400€. Buying a used part is very risky as there are several versions, and most of them are faulty (we bought one to fix the first case, but it didn’t fit and was defective). Statistically, the Renault Zoe is the vehicle with the most faults we haven’t been able to fix, and even authorized service centers haven’t been able to resolve many of the issues.
Nestabilna mreža najčešći je uzrok kvara OBC-a, osobito na Renault ZOE s Q pogonskim sustavom. Imali smo slučaj iz Srbije prije nekoliko mjeseci, koji nismo uspjeli riješiti jer je eksplozija uništila veliki dio PCB-a EMI filtera. Tada smo pretpostavili da je riječ o izoliranom incidentu. Međutim, nedavno smo dobili još jedan slučaj iz BiH s istim problemom. OBC se sastoji od FS200T12A1T4 Infineon HybridPACK1 IGBT-a, koji se više ne proizvodi, te EMI filtera. Sustav je nevjerojatno loše dizajniran – koristi IGBT koji se inače primjenjuje za pogon elektromotora, direktno spojen kroz EMI filter na Type 2 port bez osigurača. Bilo kakav prenapon u mreži ili kratki spoj u mikromreži uzrokuje kratki spoj na EMI filteru, BCB-u i bateriji vozila, što rezultira oštećenjem varistora koji uništava pločicu i ostale komponente. Svi ostali proizvođači imaju osigurače na AC ulazu OBC punjača u vozilu. Onaj tko je dizajnirao ovaj sustav, zaslužuje trenutačni otkaz.
Zoe, zbog svog dizajna, ima niz problema s punjenjem, pregrijavanjem tijekom punjenja i kvarovima OBC punjača. Najgore je što je OBC kompleksno dizajniran, što ga čini vrlo zahtjevnim za servisiranje. Komponente su nespretno raspoređene u aluminijskoj kutiji, s vodovima provučenim kroz male otvore u kutiji prema BCB-u. Svaki dio punjača je dizajniran tako da otežava servisiranje. Dizajnerski pristup francuskih inženjera zaslužuje kaznu, jer ne pridonosi održivosti niti omogućava prihvatljive troškove servisiranja. Osim toga, njihovi su dijelovi neopravdano skupi. Novi EMI filter košta oko 1800€ (BCB dodatno 1500€ za cijeli OBC sklop), dok polovni košta između 1000€ i 1400€. Kupnja polovnog dijela je vrlo rizična, postoji nekoliko verzija, a većina ih je neispravna (mi smo kupili jedan za rješavanje prvog slučaja, no nije odgovarao i bio je neispravan). Renault Zoe je statistički vozilo s najviše kvarova koje nismo uspjeli riješiti, a čak ni ovlašteni servisi nisu uspjeli otkloniti mnoge probleme.
Kataloški broj: 296G94241R
OEM: 2500€
EVC: 1400€
Zbog učestalih slučajeva vozila koja se nalaze daleko, uvrstili smo proceduru za reparaciju sa svim potrebnim dijelovima, čipovima i koracima, kako biste sami mogli popraviti pomoću EVC Academy:
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