Renault Twingo Z.E. Debuts With Modest Range Compared To VW Group’s Electric City Cars

Renault has officially uncovered the Twingo Z.E. electric city car ahead of its public premiere set for the 2020 Geneva Motor Show next week.

Slotting between the Twizy and Zoe, it’s the brand’s seventh electric vehicle and will take on the Volkswagen e-Up!, Skoda Citigoᵉ iV and Seat Mii Electric, as well as the Smart EQ ForFour platform sibling.

With the 22 kWh battery fully charged, the Twingo Z.E. has a range of 180 km (102 miles) in the WLTP test cycle, which is quite modest compared to the VW Group’s trio but better than the Smart EQ ForFour.

The Citigoᵉ iV promises up to 265 km (165 miles), the e-Up! can travel for 256 km (159 miles) on a single charge and the Mii Electric boasts 259 km (161 miles). The EQ ForFour has a 17.6 kWh battery and a range of 159 km (99 miles) in the overly-optimistic NEDC test cycle.

Charging up the Twingo Z.E.’s battery at a 2.3 kW home socket takes 13 and a half hours whereas using a 3.7 kW or 7.4 kW wall box cuts the time to 8 and 4 hours, respectively. From 0 to 80 percent capacity, you’re looking at a charging time of 2 hours and 10 minutes using an 11 kW charger, or 63 minutes at a 22 kW charger.

The small electric motor peaks out at 81 PS (80 HP / 60 kW) and 160 Nm (118 lb-ft) of torque and enables the Twingo Z.E. to accelerate to 50 km/h (31 mph) in 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph).

There are no major styling differences between the ICE-powered Twingo, which was facelifted last year, and the electric version. Both look identical inside and out, bar the special badging received by the latter. At 240 liters (8.5 cu-ft), the boot capacity remains identical as well, and the Twingo Z.E. features a 7-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Google search. Users can remain in touch with the vehicle by using the ‘My Renault’ smartphone app.