- With Renault’s electrification in full swing, EVs which pay homage to cars of the past, such as the Renault 5 Electric, have been a big hit with public opinion.
- Renault, along with its group company Dacia, are just a couple of only a small number of legacy manufacturers releasing city car-sized EVs, in contrast to other manufacturers so far only offering larger, more expensive, electric vehicles.
- The Renault 5 is just one of a number of EVs from the manufacturer set to adopt a retro-inspired design, over the next few years. Will Renault’s EV design strategy pay off when it comes to sales, however?
Renault continues to bring back classic designs into the electric era
Renault recently revealed a reborn, fully-electric Renault 17 concept, which looks remarkably similar to its 1970s predecessor. It remarkably stood out against Ford’s Capri EV revival – which, while a capable electric car in its own right, has little resemblance to the previous car to carry the Capri badging. And, with Hyundai proving that the market is still ripe for a proper electric coupe, by planning to put its similarly proportioned N Vision 74 concept into production later this decade, there’s still hope that Renault could do the same with the R17 concept.
Of course, Renault still provides for the massively popular electric crossover segment, in the form of its Renault Scenic E-Tech, rivalling cars such as the new Ford Capri, but it stands out as one of the first legacy manufacturers to begin offering truly affordable, small EVs. The Volkswagen Group, for example, used to offer the affordable electric e-Up!, but ended production a number of years ago, and still hasn’t fully unveiled anything similar in price and size to the new Renault 5.
Further into the future, Renault will also electrify its Twingo model, adopting the same design as the 1993 original – at an even cheaper price point than the 5, with the electric Twingo set to start at under €20,000 (£17,000). Even Renault Group’s budget-oriented Dacia Spring manages to have some character in its design, despite its cheap price.
That’s not the end of its EV plans, either, as the OEM is also rumoured to be bringing a seven-seater EV to market in the future, with a design that could pay tribute to the original Espace – launched back in 1985, and being revolutionary in kickstarting the MPV revolution that remained for several decades – until crossovers largely took over.
While not arriving officially until next year, the new Renault 5 EV has been greatly coveted for its design and sensible proportions in its European target market. It’s clear to see that the manufacturer has big dreams for the 5. From promoting an example at London’s high-footfall St Pancras International train station this summer, to even promoting the car in New York – a region where it’s never even planned to be sold – just to promote the EV to European tourists visiting the city. Renault is hoping for that popularity to be long-standing, too, after Renault Group’s Chief Design Officer, Laurens van den Acker, previously said he believed the 5’s design could be run for 20 years. That’s not unachievable, considering that Tesla has managed to maintain the Model S’ same design, albeit with tweaks, for over 12 years, so far.
