Green motoring writer Faye Sunderland tries out a quirky new Renault
Renault’s new two-seat electric vehicle is likely to evoke a ‘what on earth is that?’ response from many, but you have to respect that the French brand is boldly going where others only dare contemplate – becoming the first carmaker to bring an electric ‘compact urban’ vehicle into full production.
Classed as a ‘heavy quadricycle’ the Twizy is designed to sit somewhere between the function of a scooter and that of a car. Intended for the modern world, with its congested roads, Renault is targeting a youthful audience as potential early adopters of this new automotive solution.
In this sense, the Twizy could well find its niche, as a safer, not to mention cleaner alternative for youngsters than a motorbike or scooter. Worried parents will feel reassured by the presence of four wheels, a driver’s airbag, a roof, side scissor door bars and a windscreen. It might not offer the safe cocoon of a car, but it beats a bike any day.
The Twizy also offers a much dryer and pleasant ride than a scooter, with its side wind deflectors and windscreen to help protect when the inevitable shower breaks.
Behind the wheel, it is surprisingly comfortable to drive and fun. It offers a quiet ride thanks to its electric drive and with a wheel at each corner; it feels agile, stable and solid. Over the worst ruts in the road, things can get tough, but at just 1.34 metres wide, it’s easy to dodge the potholes without straying from your lane.
Being so small and yet still able to seat two people-with the passenger seated splay-legged behind the driver’s seat-the Twizy is easy to park and manoeuvre, with a tiny 3.4 metre turning circle. Three of them can fit in one ordinary parking bay.
As the third vehicle in Renault’s electric ZE range (zero emission), the Twizy is offered under the same ‘buy the vehicle, lease the battery’ format. Priced from �6,690, the battery lease will cost around �45 a month, depending on the contract.
The driving range is around 62 miles per charge, enough for the typical commute to work or college, and with a recharge time of around three and a half hours (using a standard 220v domestic supply), the battery can be replenished before the journey home.
Many will dismiss it instantly for not being a conventional car and its limited driving range, but it offers genuine advantages over its bulkier cousins, not least its low running cost. Should the public take to the Twizy, other brands already have similar electric ‘compact urban’ concepts ready to bring into production.
The vehicle is in showrooms now and the first Twizy deliveries to UK customers begin in June.
Quick Facts
Cost: from �6,690 plus around �45 a month battery lease
Range: 62 miles on a full charge
Recharging time: 3� hours using a 220v standard household supply
Power: 17hp and 57Nm
Top speed: 50mph
0-28mph: 6.1 seconds
USP: The very first ‘compact urban’ electric vehicle brought into production
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