Renault says it will reveal the all-electric variant of its Twingo compact urban car within a year and a half from now.
The model is technically similar to the Smart series, which has already switched to electric power. Specifically, it uses a single engine rated at 82 hp (61 kW) and 160 Nm (117 lb-ft), connected to a 17.6-kWh battery.
The Twingo should have become an electric vehicle as early as 2014, when it went into the next generation. The Twin’Z Concept (depicted here) debuted in 2013 with RWD, 980 kg (2,160 lbs) curb weight, 68 hp (50 kW) engine power, 160 km (100 mi) driving range, and 130 km/h (80 mph) top speed. However, EV charging stations were still too few and wide apart back then, so the French company never greenlit the production.
The latest-gen Twingo starts from €11,400 in France; its all-electric counterpart will be about twice as expensive. It will be styled similarly to the larger Opel Corsa-e and Peugeot e-208, both packing 136 PS (100 kW) and offering around 330 km (205 miles) of WLTP range.
A new mini-SUV sized close to the latest Renault Kadjar will enter the market simultaneously with the Twingo EV. By 2023, the marque plans to expand its EV range to eight models. To that end, it has already showcased a wide range of design studies, including the EZ-Pod, EZ-Flex, EZ-Go, EZ-Pro, EZ-Ultimo, and City K-ZE.