Renault Twingo ZE: electric city car with 180 km of autonomy

Renault has officially unveiled the electric version of the city's Twingo hatchback, announcing that it will be available in late 2020. The model will be equipped with a 60 kW (82 hp) electric motor, which will receive energy from a battery with a capacity of 21 kWh with a water cooling system.

The declared range of the Renault Twingo ZE is 180 kilometres (102 miles) when evaluated in accordance with the rules of WLTP tests. And in urban mode, due to more frequent energy recovery during braking, its range can reach up to 250 km.

According to Renault, the average daily mileage of cars in this class is about 30 km. Therefore, the typical owner of such a mini-electric car battery lasts for a whole week, which is comparable to the frequency of refuelling cars with internal combustion engines. However, in real conditions, the power reserve is lower than that measured by the WLTP method, so Twingo ZE will still have to be charged more often.

The maximum speed of the electric car is 135 km / h (84 mph) and a maximum torque of 160 Nm. It accelerates to 100 km / h in 12.6 seconds, and to 50 km / h (31 mph) in 4 seconds.

From the usual Twingo, the ZE modification externally differs only in a decorative blue line along the sides, and inside - with a signature nameplate on the transmission selector handle. Replacing the power unit did not even affect the volume of the trunk, under the floor of which the motor is hiding. This is not surprising, because the possibility of installing an electric motor was taken into account when developing the 3rd generation of Twingo.

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The electric motor, gearbox, power electronics components for the new modification are taken from Renault ZOE. Their main production is concentrated in the city of Cleon in France. Twingo ZE is Renault's first water-cooled battery-electric car. It uses batteries from the company LG Chem. A battery weighing 165 kg is located under the seats, so it does not hide the interior space.

The built-in Chameleon charger system allows you to charge an electric car with alternating current with a power of up to 22 kW, which provides replenishment of the power reserve of 80 km in half an hour. When charging at maximum power, 80% of the full battery capacity is reached in 1 hour 3 minutes, and when using a 7.4-kilowatt Type 1 station - in 4 hours. It supports fast DC charging from CCS stations.

Renault Twingo ZE will be assembled in the city of Novo-Mesto in Slovenia together with gasoline versions of the car. Detailed specifications and prices have not yet been announced. A public presentation of the new items will be held at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2020. @update: 2020 Geneva Motor Show was canceled.