Adorable Renault Twingo finally gets electric Z.E. model

Europe is becoming spoiled for choice when it comes to cute electric city cars. First there were the electric Smart cars, then the Mini Cooper SE and Honda E, and now the Renault Twingo Z.E. The Twingo, as you may already know, is the French take on the Smart ForFour platform, using the same chassis and rear-engine, rear-drive layout. Unsurprisingly, the Twingo Z.E. shares parts with the Smart ForFour electric, but has one major improvement.

At the back of the car is an electric motor with a single-speed gearbox that makes 80 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque, the same as the Smart. It compares favorably with the top-level gas engine in the Twingo, a turbocharged inline-three making 91 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. Where the Renault differs is in battery capacity. Its battery has 21.3 kWh of usable charge, whereas the Smart has just 17.2. This translates to a range of between 102 and 143 miles of range versus the Smart’s 71.4 to 80.7 miles. Despite having a bigger battery, the Renault doesn’t give up any passenger or cargo space.

It will be tricky to tell a Twingo Z.E. from its gas-powered brethren, at least at a distance. Only blue accents in the grille, wheel center caps, and small badges show up on all electric Twingos. Some may have a bright blue stripe along the side, like the one shown above, but that can be swapped for other designs. The bodywork is pretty much unchanged. There aren’t changes to the interior either, except a shifter that features the Z.E. logo and allows you to switch between three levels of regenerative braking.

The Twingo Z.E. will go on sale throughout Europe by the end of the year, and there’s effectively no chance it will find its way to America. It will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced.

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