It is time for the Renault Zoë to pass the torch to the 5 E-Tech Electric. Its retro design was inspired by the cute Renault R5 from the previous century. It aims to make electric driving accessible as well as hip.
If there is one manufacturer has paved the way for electric driving in Europe, it is Renault. The pioneering Zoë has become an integral part of our streetscape. Yet Renault decided to change tack with its successor. Indeed, the 5 E-Tech Electric looks just as mischievous and refreshing as the model it was inspired by: the legendary R5 from 1972.
The R5 reinvented
Vivid colours, quizzical headlights, remarkably vertical rear lights: the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric adopts quite a few stylistic features of its illustrious ancestor. A nice detail concerns the ''ventilation grille'' in the bonnet: in this electric reinterpretation of the R5, it takes the shape of a charging indicator in which the number 5 lights up.
The 5 E-Tech Electric also pays tribute to its predecessor in other respects: for instance, it is affordable (the entry price is below €25,000), it promises to be fun to drive, and it offers a surprising amount of interior space. This list of features is completed by a state-of-the-art interior and a 10-inch touch screen, which runs on Google software and is said to be as practical and capable as a high-end tablet.
Technological feat
The 5 E-Tech Electric is the first Renault developed entirely on the new 'AmpR Small' platform from Ampere, the brand's electric subsidiary. This platform offers significant advantages: an entirely flat floor, a long wheelbase (2.54 metres), optimised interior and boot space (326 litres), a lowered centre of gravity and a sub-1,500 kg weight.
The electric motor under the bonnet of the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is more compact than the one you can find in the Mégane and Scénic E-Tech Electric. It contains no permanent magnets and therefore no rare earths. Optimal space utilisation also allowed a 52-kWh battery to be incorporated in the floor, providing a driving range of 400 kilometres.
Ready for vehicle-to-grid
Charging can be done with up to 100 kW on a DC fast-charger, while the on-board charger can handle three-phase AC at 11 kW. The latter is of the bi-directional type: not only can it power individual electrical devices, but it is also V2G or vehicle-to-grid ready. This technology will turn the car into a home battery. During off-peak hours, you charge it with cheap electricity and during peak hours, you can use that electricity to power your household – unless you decide to sell it back to the grid.
The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is built in northern France through a compact ecosystem of suppliers located within a 300-kilometre radius of the factory. It will also be 85 per cent recyclable, while 22 per cent of its materials stem from the circular economy.
Motor & Drivetrain
- Powertrain150 hp
- DrivetrainFront
- motor245 Nm
Performance
- Power110 kW (150 PS)
- Acceleration (0-100 km/h)10 sec
- TOPSPEED140 km/h
Battery
- Battery capacity43 kWh
- Driving range400 km
- Battery typeLithium-ion
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Easy home charging
Advanced driver-assistance
Virtual travel companion
Renault 5 E-Tech Electric
