THE Renault Zoe has scooped a top award by becoming the pick of the best environmentally friendly motors in the annual Green Organisation's accolades.

The Zoe won the Green Apple's Pure Electric and Hybrid Cars category and it's the second time the all-electric Zoe has succeeded.

Marks were awarded by the judges for the way a car drives and behaves in the real world, away from the testing laboratory.

Renault estimates that the Zoe, recently unveiled with an uprated battery to provide up to 250 mile range, the longest of any mainstream electric car has a real-world range of between 186 miles in temperate conditions and 124 miles in extreme cold conditions.

Paul Flanagan, Group Renault managing director, said: "The Renault Zoe is stylish, affordable and practical and is perfect for those who are looking to downsize their carbon footprint.

The Zoe has been selling strongly in the UK with 1,482 sold in the first three-quarters of 2016 - a 33 per cent increase on the same period of 2015 - continuing the trend set in Europe where Renault was the best-selling electric vehicle manufacturer in 2015. Purchases of Zoe represents one in six electric vehicles sold in the UK.

The Green Organisation, based in Northamptonshire, was established in 1994 as an international, independent, non-profit, non-political, non-activist environment group, dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world and invites entries from all parts of industry for its annual Green Apple Awards which are judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers.