Cheap Renault Twingo EV to go ahead, thanks to Chinese partner
French car-maker turns to unnamed Chinese partner for affordable EV after deal falls through with VolkswagenRenault CEO Luca de Meo has turned to an unnamed Chinese partner to help develop its new low-cost, sub-€20,000 ($A32,500) Renault Twingo EV after negotiations with the Volkswagen Group broke down.
The move has raised plenty of eyebrows given the Renault boss previously urged European car-makers to join forces to create an Airbus-style conglomerate in a radical bid to combat the raft of cheap Chinese-built EVs flooding the market.
According to industry journal Automotive News, the new deal is being led by Renault’s Ampere EV division and both the styling and advanced engineering will take place in France.
Production will also remain in Europe, with the EV primed to be built in the same Slovenian plant as the current Twingo.
Officially, Renault claims the announcement of the new Chinese partner is unrelated to the talks it had held with the Volkswagen Group.
There’s no word on whether the Twingo’s Chinese twin will also be offered for sale in Europe.
“The development of the car will be done with a Chinese partner to improve our development lead time and costs,” a spokesperson told AN.
Renault has previously said the Twingo EV will deliver game-changing efficiency of 10kWh/100km.
It’s also designed to offer up to 75 per cent lower CO2 emissions during its lifetime compared to any EV sold in 2023.
Thanks to its petite proportions, the new Twingo takes up 20 per cent less space compared to the average car in Europe, making it easy to manoeuvre and park in an urban environment.
As far as timing goes, the Twingo EV is primed to land in 2026 to compete with the likes of the new Citroen e-C3, Fiat Panda EV and Volkswagen ID.1, plus entry-level EVs being readied by Hyundai and Kia.
Before then, Renault will launch the larger R5 hatch later this year, followed by the R4 SUV in 2025.
It’s expected to be priced higher than the Renault Group’s Dacia Spring EV, which was recently facelifted and has sold in Europe from just €17,300 ($A28,200) before subsidies.
Related: Renault calls for action on cut-price Chinese electric cars
Related: New Dacia Spring EV launched with ultra-low pricing
Related: Next Renault Twingo revealed as sub-$33K EV
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