Introduction – Twizy Is A Distinctive Micro Car
The Renault Twizy is an innovative all-electric city micro-car that offers quirky looks and sensible, eco-friendly running costs. It’s not an everyday transport, though, as its lack of weather protection, safety and carrying capacity make it more suited to short urban trips. And when we say micro-car we mean its really really micro. It’s probably the smallest e-car we’ve ever reviewed on ShrinkThatFootprint. It’s also classified as a “quadricycle” in the UK – so a more apt comparison could be to the electric bikes. The car comes with two seats and a range of 90 km (56 miles) thats powered by a 6.1 kWh battery. It has a top speed of 45 km/h (26 mph).
History Of The Renault Twizy UK
The Renault Twizy is a three-wheeled concept car that was designed by Renault’s new electric vehicle division. It is the first car to be designed by the company, with all other models before it having been developed outside of its control. The Twizy was intended to be a city car and was introduced to the UK in 2011.
The Twizy comes with side impact beams that make it safer than many other small cars if you have an accident. The boot space is limited because the batteries take up much of the space in the vehicle, but Renault have designed this to make room for your feet under the dashboard.
The Twizy’s steering wheel rotates 180 degrees, which makes it easier to park in tight spaces or squeeze through gaps between parked cars when driving at slow speeds on city streets.
Renault doesn’t market directly in the US which means all its products like the Zoe for example, which sells really well in Europe, aren’t available to purchasing directly from the dealer. Rather, an American would need to buy from a nearby country like Canada or Mexico on its borders and then drive the car over.
Units Sold
The Renault Twizy is a popular electric car in Europe, with over 31,000 units sold since its launch in 2012. In 2012, the launch year alone saw 9,200 units sold. The Renault Twizy’s target demographic is primarily people aged 18-35 who are looking for an affordable, efficient and environmentally-friendly way of getting around. The car is especially popular with city-dwellers, as its small size makes it ideal for tight city streets and urban parking spaces. The car is also popular with young professionals and students who are looking for a stylish and affordable mode of transport.
Exterior Look Of The Renault Twizy
This is not a car you’d want to drive if you’re looking for something inconspicuous. The Twizy has a very distinctive look, with its three doors, no windows and space-age styling.
Aside from being quite small (you can fit into one the same way you’d climb into a car), it’s lightweight too – weighing just 595kgs in total. This means that it won’t cost much more than £5 to fill up at the petrol station, nor will it burn through your wallet if you try and sell it second hand later on.
The Renault Twizy also has an acceleration rate of 0-30mph in five seconds, making it ideal for city driving where speed isn’t really an issue anyway – though top speed is only 30mph so don’t expect any long distance journeys! There’s only one colour available (yellow) but if this doesn’t take your fancy there are lots of decals available which can give your vehicle a more personalised look without breaking the bank!
Interior Of The Renault Twizy
The interior of the Renault Twizy is simple, with a single instrument panel in front of the driver and no rear seats. However, there is a storage space behind the passenger seat which can be used for luggage or any other items you wish to take with you on your journey. The low driving position creates an intimate cabin feel that enhances enjoyment of driving this car.
Renault Twizy Specs
As a city car, the Renault Twizy UK edition is not built for speed or comfort. It has a top speed of 45 km/h and can only travel up to 56 miles on a single charge. If you’re looking for an electric car with the ability to take long road trips, this isn’t it.
The engine is an amazingly low 5 hp, which to us is unbelievably low and really reveals that the car is so light that’s completely incomparable to peers. The Nissan Leaf for example has at least 147 hp which is about 30 times more powerful.
If you live in a big city and don’t have far-away destinations (or if you just don’t mind charging your car every night), then the Renault Twizy is an excellent choice for your next ride.
Range And Battery Capacity of the Renault Twizy UK
The Renault Twizy has a range of 56 miles and a battery capacity of 6-13 kWh. This means that it should be able to travel from London to Brighton on a single charge, if you drive conservatively and don’t stray too far off the beaten track.
Because its not as advanced as its bigger counterparts, the maximum power is 3.7 kW meaning that you can’t charge it at the newer high 7.2 kW stations. But because the capacity is so small, from 6 to 13 kWh, you will only need 2-4 hours to fully charge the car at 3.7 kW. This is using a level 2 charger which is both found in home set-ups and charging stations.
Using the older, slower domestic set-ups with 110V electricity that charges up at 1.2 kW, the car will take a bit longer from 6-13 hours to charge up fully.
Where Can I Buy A Renault Twizy UK
If you want to buy a Renault Twizy, there are two main places to look:
- Renault dealerships in the UK
- The official Renault Twizy website that will serve UK customers
The cost of the car will be a bit strange to get your head around. The car isn’t classified as a true car in most countries, and in the UK it’s no different. It belongs to the “quadricycle” category so it fails to satisfy many incentives for purchase. You’ll have to buy it at full sticker price without help from tax payers and the government.
That being said, a new Twizy will set you back £11,995, unless you go for a bigger model like the Dynamique then expect to pay £12,695.
Renault’s New Electric Cars Are Better Options
If you’re looking to get behind the wheel of a Renault electric car, there are two new models that are better options than the Renault Twizy UK: the Renault ZOE and the Renault Kangoo Z.E. 40. Both of these vehicles are cheaper than their predecessor, more well-equipped (with larger battery capacities), and safer than their predecessors as well.
The ZOE is a smaller car with a range of 186 miles per charge—more than enough for most daily commutes—and costs around £20,000 ($26,700). The Kangoo can go just shy of 200 miles before needing to be recharged compared to the Twizy’s 117 miles per charge and has been deemed as one of safest vans on sale today by Euro NCAP testing standards.
Alternatives To The Renault Twizy
There are several alternatives to the Renault Twizy, which offer many of the same benefits in terms of its low running costs and zero emissions.
If you’re looking for something a little bigger, the Zoe is a great option. It has been around since 2010, so it’s not quite as modern as the Twizy, but it’s still a good choice if you’re going to be doing long journeys regularly. The Zoe comes with plenty of space for people and luggage—more than enough for most people—and can easily fit two children in its back seats (although you will have to remove them if you want access to the boot). It also has an impressive range of 275 miles on one charge; more than enough for most day-to-day journeys!
The Kangoo ZE range offers some excellent alternatives too: 33, 33 Maxi and 40 Maxi models allow up to three adults comfortably ride inside this van without sacrificing much cargo space at all! That said though don’t forget that these vehicles are designed primarily as vans rather than passenger cars so obviously they won’t handle quite as well as traditional ones do when driving along busy roads during rush hour traffic jams. However what they lack in road handling ability they make up for by being able to carry much heavier loads (upwards towards 2000kg depending on model) while still maintaining excellent fuel economy figures too–so if that sounds like something which interests you then check out some specs below before making any decisions about which might work best within your needs/budget parameters.
Finally, the new Microlino is a superbly small EV that’s being released in 2023. More details are coming out so stay tuned.
Conclusion
Renault’s new electric cars are an improvement over the Twizy in terms of performance, range and practicality. The Zoe is a more advanced Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) than its predecessor with improved range and charging times while the Kangoo ZE van can be used for commercial or private use. Both models will be available in various trim levels with various options like leather seats or traction control as standard equipment too. The fact that Renault has added these two vehicles into their lineup just shows how committed they are towards increasing their green credentials even further by offering more options for customers who want something eco-friendly but still stylish enough not look out of place next door on a residential street!
