Thanks for the answers. I was planning to keep key in my pocket, my wife keep hers in her handbag, I was just checking I was not missing out on any charging the key battery or any other features.

Am I right in saying it’s illegal to fit 2 different wheels to the same axle? I’m sure it is. The manufacturers get away with this as is marked up with a speed restriction. You need to carry a spare wheel of the same size.

I thought there would be a problem if the spare wheel size didn’t match the existing wheels (even though the rolling radius is the same) if the spare wasn’t authorised by the manufacturer, as it is with some other makes that don’t provide a spare as standard, only an inflation kit.

What 16 inch steel wheels from Renault fit the Zoe?

Alloy wheels are expensive, and, in the case of my existing car, can be heavier than the steel wheel.

Fred

I’ve been looking at Renault alternatives to 16 inch wheels in steel and not getting very far.

Of course if you go for a complete set for winter tyres there’s probably no reason to fit 16 inch, 15″ will do, providing that the speedometer reading remains accurate, which it should because there is very little difference in rolling radius.

In any case the rolling radius changes with pressure, load and wear, so the safety margin on the speed indication should allow for all those variations, usually by being optimistic. But it would be nice to know if the Expression and Dynamique models have identical speedometer calibrations.

For anyone in any doubt there is a considerable difference between summer and winter tyres when it gets cold even before ice and slush are present. Personal experience, not advertising hype. I drove on summer tyres in winter for 40 years before I got winters, so yes, with care you can get away with it.

Unfortunately my existing 16″ winter wheels have 5 studs and the wrong PCD and hub diameter.

On the Yeti I’ve given some thought to using 16″ steel instead of 17″ alloys when I have to replace the existing set of summer tyres. I would get the benefit of the narrower, higher profile, tyres which are cheaper than the 17″ low profile, almost by a sufficient amount to offset the cost of a set of steel wheels.

I already have a set of Michelin Alpin 4 winter tyres on 16″ steel wheels, and they are very good in cold, wet and slush conditions.

The Zoe situation is different, but low rolling resistance A rated tyres with a decent grip rating are cheaper than bespoke Michelin Q, though not by as big a margin. Of course the lower cost tyres will reduce the range, but its not clear by how much. It may be similar to the range reduction with the 17″ tyres. It may also be easier to buy, for example, Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance than Michelin Energy EV off the shelf.

Replacing the alloys and keeping them unblemished and the tyres unworn until sale or return time has its merits, but you’ve got to have the storage space and be willing to shell out for a duplicate set of wheels.

The steels won’t look as nice though.

Fred