Photo: Renault
Care to guess which is last year’s best-selling electrified vehicle in Europe? It’s not the ever-popular Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, nor the Nissan Leaf. In fact, the Renault Zoe claims the bragging right, and this is just the beginning for the French automaker as Renault plans to introduce more electric vehicles.
In the latest edition of Autocar Confidential, the motoring publication suggests the Twingo is likely to adopt an all-electric powertrain in the future. Renault UK head honcho Vincent Tourette commented: “When demand [for the Twingo EV] is there, we will be ready.” Reading between the lines, what Mr. Tourette is saying is that the smart lineup shares the platform with the Twingo.
It’s not too hard to imagine, then, that Renault will give smart HQ a call and ask something in the ballpark of “Hey, can you give use the electric know-how of the fortwo ED and forfour ED?” Speaking of which, the electric smart boasts 17.6 kWh and 160 kilometers of range as per the New European Driving Cycle. Performance, though, is not on par with Tesla’s P100D models.
Moving on to Renault’s presence in China, the automaker decided to form a joint venture with Dongfeng and Nissan in order to build EVs in the Middle Kingdom. Known as eGT New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd., the company’s first offering will come in the form of an “A-segment SUV.” That’s right, ladies and gents, the city car-sized Renault Kwid from India is going electric.
“This project is the result of a joint effort to develop electric vehicles for the Chinese market, by the 'Golden Triangle' formed by Dongfeng, Renault, and Nissan, with an innovative business model,” declared Zhu Yanfeng, the chairman of Dongfeng. On the subject of production, the yet-unnamed Kwid EV will start rolling off the assembly line at Dongfeng’s Shiyan plant in 2019.
Why China of all places? The explanation is painfully simple, with the Middle Kingdom having the biggest appetite for battery-powered electric vehicles. In 2016, the Chinese bought 256,879 BEVs. In the first seven months of 2017, sales have surpassed 204,000 units.
It’s not too hard to imagine, then, that Renault will give smart HQ a call and ask something in the ballpark of “Hey, can you give use the electric know-how of the fortwo ED and forfour ED?” Speaking of which, the electric smart boasts 17.6 kWh and 160 kilometers of range as per the New European Driving Cycle. Performance, though, is not on par with Tesla’s P100D models.
Moving on to Renault’s presence in China, the automaker decided to form a joint venture with Dongfeng and Nissan in order to build EVs in the Middle Kingdom. Known as eGT New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd., the company’s first offering will come in the form of an “A-segment SUV.” That’s right, ladies and gents, the city car-sized Renault Kwid from India is going electric.
“This project is the result of a joint effort to develop electric vehicles for the Chinese market, by the 'Golden Triangle' formed by Dongfeng, Renault, and Nissan, with an innovative business model,” declared Zhu Yanfeng, the chairman of Dongfeng. On the subject of production, the yet-unnamed Kwid EV will start rolling off the assembly line at Dongfeng’s Shiyan plant in 2019.
Why China of all places? The explanation is painfully simple, with the Middle Kingdom having the biggest appetite for battery-powered electric vehicles. In 2016, the Chinese bought 256,879 BEVs. In the first seven months of 2017, sales have surpassed 204,000 units.
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