Electric Renault 5: Cheaper than Zoe and competitors

At the beginning of 2021, Renault presented the 5 Prototype, a preview of one of the many new electric models that Renault will market until 2025. It has now been quiet around the new electric Renault 5, but now we can tell you more about the platform and pricing.

The Renault 5 must compete with the Volkswagen ID2, among other things.

The electric Renault 5 is expected to closely resemble its conceptual precursor, which is now more than two years old. This means that the B-segmenter has an explicit retro character. But that does not mean that Renault is positioning its electric compact hatchback relatively high in the market like other electric retro cars – think of the Fiat 500, Honda E and Mini Electric. In fact, the Renault 5 must above all be affordable. No, it will not be Dacia-like in terms of pricing, but Renault is doing everything possible to make the car interesting from a price point of view.

Renault says that the electric R5 will not only be cheaper than the Zoe, but also cheaper than its biggest competitors (read: other electric B-segmenters). Think of the Peugeot e-208 and Opel Corsa-e. In 2025, Volkswagen will introduce the ID2, the production version of the ID2all Concept. It should cost ‘less than €25,000’ in Europe. The Renault 5 has yet to go under that.

CMF-B-EV: 30 percent new, 70 percent known

The Renault 5 will be placed on the CMF-B EV platform, a base that the brand describes as a dedicated EV platform. To keep the costs of that platform low, Renault has used quite a few parts from the platform that serves under the Clio and Captur. According to Renault, the CMF-B EV platform consists of 70 percent parts from the regular CMF-B platform and 30 percent of the parts are completely new. Renault promises, among other things, a low center of gravity and multilink rear suspension. Fun fact: for testing the technology of the new R5, Renault has, among other things, a Clio mule used.

A refurbished Clio that was used to test the technology of the R5.

The battery pack of the Renault 5 – of which the brand has not yet released extensive specifications – is made up of fewer parts than that of, for example, the Zoe. This should not only make the battery pack cheaper, but also about 15 kilos lighter. The electric motor of the R5 is a derivative of the ones that the brand uses in the Mégane E-Tech Electric. That should also reduce costs. To spread the costs further, the R5 will not be the only small electric Renault to use the platform. The brand speaks of the arrival of a complete model family. That probably also includes an R4-inspired electric crossover and an electric one Fourgonnettedelivery truck.

Renault also hints to AutoWeek on the arrival of a hot hatch, although that is no surprise. For example, Alpine has already confirmed that it will come up with a sporty model based on the R5. Within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, Nissan will also use the CMF-B-EV platform. After all, the successor to the Nissan Micra will be a technical sister model of the Renault 5. Dacia could also use the platform for new models.