At the Geneva Motor Show on Monday, Renault introduced the long-awaited electric R5, a model directly inspired by its 1972 bestseller. The French automaker anticipates that this new electric vehicle will substantially enhance its sales in the electric vehicle market. The compact sedan, included in Renault’s 2021 turnaround plan, overtly incorporates design elements from the R5 and the iconic Super 5, such as vertical tail-lights and vibrant colors, which played a pivotal role in the combined sale of over nine million cars.
It also uses a similar layout to the current Renault Zoe, a hatchback whose compact footprint and affordable pricing have made it one of Europe’s top-selling electric vehicles. Like the Zoe, it offers a quiet, smooth ride with impressive acceleration. According to Autocar magazine, a version of the car equipped with a more powerful battery pack is expected to reach 125 mph and accelerate from 0 to 62 in 7.3 seconds.
Designed by Italian-French product designer Pierre Gonalons, who also worked on the recent Renault Diamant retro EV concept, the new R5 looks ready to compete with other stylish urban e-cars such as Fiat’s 3+1-doored 500 EV and Mini Electric Cooper SE and Honda’s beloved EV. Renault’s chief executive, Luca de Meo, said the new production model will be built at the company’s ElectriCity campus in northern France, where it will join an upcoming range of zero-emission passenger and cargo cars, including the new Kangoo van.
Although Renault hasn’t disclosed performance details, its most powerful R5 EV can travel 248 miles between charges using a 52 kWh battery. That will tackle the lion’s share of the European city-driving market. The company is working to shorten the time needed for an empty charge to about 30 minutes, a figure that could prove crucial as more people adopt EVs.
The new car will be front-wheel drive, with engineers deciding against all-wheel drive given the extra weight and complexity that would have added. The cabin, which Renault doesn’t show in detail, looks upscale with a transparent dashboard panel that can project messages to passersby or indicate the car’s battery level.
It’s unclear when the production version will debut, but it is one of 10 battery-powered vehicles available to consumers by 2025. The others will be the Renault 4 baby SUV, Scenic zero-emissions passenger car, and Kangoo ZEV commercial vehicle. Each will have different powertrain options, with the Renault-Samsung sourced battery system being offered in at least two versions. Other powertrains are being developed in-house, including a dual-motor version with front and rear motors for more driving fun. All will be built on Renault’s modular EV architecture platform that enables it to switch out components and drivetrains as they become obsolete, which should reduce costs over the lifetime of the vehicles.