Cheap electric driving? Then you’ve come to the right place at Groupe Renault. Next year, the Dacia Spring Electric will hit the market, which should be the cheapest EV in Europe. Until then, the Twingo Electric is about the cheapest way to drive fully electric. Let’s see what you get for the price of the entry-level version.
Twingo Electric R80 Life
€ 20,590
At the beginning of this year, Renault presented the Twingo ZE to the public. This has since been renamed Twingo Electric. It’s based on the Smart ForFour EQ, but doesn’t have the exact same drivetrain as its German counterpart. The Twingo has a battery pack of 22 instead of 17.6 kWh, with which you should be able to go 190 km according to the WLTP test cycle. Under the loading floor is an electric motor with 82 hp and 160 Nm of torque. There are no more choices. Because the combustion engine of the conventional Twingo is located under the loading floor, the load space of the Twingo Electric remains the same at 240 liters. In terms of appearance, the electric variant does not or hardly differ from its petrol brother, which also once shone in this section. The badge on the boot lid is light blue and the letters ‘ZE’ are visible on the lever in the interior. Furthermore, the brand logos on the wheel covers are surrounded by a light blue border. So much for the external differences on the ‘Life’. If you want to profile yourself more emphatically as the owner of an electric Twingo, you have to pay € 2,900 for the ‘Intense’, the most expensive equipment level. In that case you get light blue ‘ZE’ striping over the sides and the inserts in the grille are done in the same color.
Remarkably, the Twingo Electric is still equipped with the left rear air scoop, which of course serves a clear purpose in the Twingo with combustion engine. At the Twingo Electric he appears for obvious reasons less necessary. The base color is ‘Blanc Cristal’ and the Electric has the same 15-inch ‘Makao’ wheel covers as standard Twingo. Funny detail: also in the configurator of the Twingo Electric, the rear window wiper points in the wrong direction and is slanted. In reality it lies flat, on the right side of the window. If the white is not quite your thing, you can choose from seven other colors on the Life, with the two most expensive shades ‘Blanc Quartz’ and ‘Rouge Flamme’ at an additional cost of € 595. You don’t have to make it that expensive to provide the Twingo Electric with a splashing color: the ocher yellow ‘Jaune Mango’, for example, costs only € 195 extra. On the Life, the mirrors and door handles are also made of black plastic. Only from the ‘Collection’, which costs € 1,500 more, are they painted in the body color.
Spartan
The starting price of the Twingo Electric Life is very favorable compared to the competition. For example, a Volkswagen e-Up is € 2,245 more expensive. When you look into the interior of the standard Twingo, you will see where that price difference is probably in. There is not much in it. To begin with, you have to work to open the windows, because the doors still have an old-fashioned crank. You will also have to adjust the exterior mirrors manually. In addition, you can look for a nice front for the radio, because only the DAB + antenna and cabling are included as standard. An on-board computer is on it again, as is a light sensor and an adjustable speed limiter. Of course a type-2 charging cable is also included. This allows the Twingo, just like the Zoe, to be charged with an exceptionally fast 22 kW at suitable charging points.
The Renault Easy Link multimedia system with 7-inch touchscreen and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is only included from the € 22,090 ‘Collection’. In addition, you no longer have to swing to open the windows and you can adjust the driver’s seat and steering wheel in height, which is not possible on the basic version. For € 23,490, the ‘Intens’ adds extra luxury such as cruise control, parking sensors, a leather-covered steering wheel and heated exterior mirrors. For that money you actually still have a relatively good deal. With the ‘Life’ you can get into an electric car very cheaply, but it is all spartan.