Photo: Lormauto
Anyone buying an electric car to save the planet needs to remember they engage in the same cycle that has depleted it in the first place. The only company willing to tackle the need for more natural resources endlessly was Riversimple until very recently. The French startup Lormauto joined it with a different proposition: giving first-generation Renault Twingos a second electric life for €100 ($99.6 at the current exchange rate) a month.
Lormauto does not only convert a Twingo to use an electric motor powered by batteries: it rebuilds several parts of the car. According to L’Argus, the interior, suspension, brakes, and tires are part of this overhauling process.
The cabin is updated with more durable materials and modern equipment. Lormauto chose the Twingo because it can have ABS and four airbags. The suspension receives stronger parts to deal with the higher weight, and the tires are more durable for the same reason. Regarding the motor, it is supplied by Dana and offers 38 kW (51 hp).
The battery pack is comprised of four modules installed under the hood, under the front seats, and under the rear seat, where there used to be the fuel tank. They are made of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells and offer a total of 16 kWh. Lormauto states they allow the Twingo to run 120 kilometers (75 miles) in WLTP urban cycle.
That makes the change process more than a simple EV conversion. Sébastien Rolo said that simply giving the Twingos an electric powertrain would turn them into old vehicles that run on electricity. The Lormauto president told L’Argus he did not want that for his customers. However, there are more reasons for that than simply pleasing clients.
Lormauto presents itself as a new car company, which is necessary to apply for French incentives. Rebuilding a Twingo the way the French startup does costs between €10,000 to €20,000 ($9,969 to $19,1918). Apart from not being competitive with some EV options, such as the Dacia Spring (which costs €20,800 in France, or $20,714), that’s not Lormauto’s goal.
Like Riversimple, the French startup wants only to rent or lease its electric vehicles. Without the French EV incentives, it would have to ask €200 ($199.2) from customers monthly. It is the government’s help that allows it to charge the €100 per month we mentioned at the beginning of this text.
As the EVs are rented, Lormauto will make sure they can run at least 500,000 km (310,686 mi) before their life cycles reach an end. Mind you, that’s an additional mileage to what the converted Twingos already had. The company did not state if maintenance and insurance costs are included in the rent, but that’s very likely.
The French startup considers that as the best way to ensure lower carbon emissions. Without Lormauto, the used Twingos would end up in junkyards. With luck, their bodies would be recycled to make new steel, which would eventually help build new cars. Imagine all the energy spent in such a process, and you’ll understand the company’s point.
Lormauto is still waiting to be granted the French government incentives. If everything goes according to plan, it will soon announce other vehicles to get the same overhauling treatment its Twingos will have.
The cabin is updated with more durable materials and modern equipment. Lormauto chose the Twingo because it can have ABS and four airbags. The suspension receives stronger parts to deal with the higher weight, and the tires are more durable for the same reason. Regarding the motor, it is supplied by Dana and offers 38 kW (51 hp).
The battery pack is comprised of four modules installed under the hood, under the front seats, and under the rear seat, where there used to be the fuel tank. They are made of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells and offer a total of 16 kWh. Lormauto states they allow the Twingo to run 120 kilometers (75 miles) in WLTP urban cycle.
That makes the change process more than a simple EV conversion. Sébastien Rolo said that simply giving the Twingos an electric powertrain would turn them into old vehicles that run on electricity. The Lormauto president told L’Argus he did not want that for his customers. However, there are more reasons for that than simply pleasing clients.
Lormauto presents itself as a new car company, which is necessary to apply for French incentives. Rebuilding a Twingo the way the French startup does costs between €10,000 to €20,000 ($9,969 to $19,1918). Apart from not being competitive with some EV options, such as the Dacia Spring (which costs €20,800 in France, or $20,714), that’s not Lormauto’s goal.
Like Riversimple, the French startup wants only to rent or lease its electric vehicles. Without the French EV incentives, it would have to ask €200 ($199.2) from customers monthly. It is the government’s help that allows it to charge the €100 per month we mentioned at the beginning of this text.
As the EVs are rented, Lormauto will make sure they can run at least 500,000 km (310,686 mi) before their life cycles reach an end. Mind you, that’s an additional mileage to what the converted Twingos already had. The company did not state if maintenance and insurance costs are included in the rent, but that’s very likely.
The French startup considers that as the best way to ensure lower carbon emissions. Without Lormauto, the used Twingos would end up in junkyards. With luck, their bodies would be recycled to make new steel, which would eventually help build new cars. Imagine all the energy spent in such a process, and you’ll understand the company’s point.
Lormauto is still waiting to be granted the French government incentives. If everything goes according to plan, it will soon announce other vehicles to get the same overhauling treatment its Twingos will have.
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