The All-Electric Renault Twizy Quadricycle: The Complete Guide For India

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The All-Electric Renault Twizy Quadricycle

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Groupe Renault (Renault Group), is a leading player in the global automotive sector. Renault is now part of the global Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. The partnership makes these companies the 3rd largest automotive group in the world after Volkswagen and Toyota. Renault is headquartered in France.

Renault has been an early mover in the zero-emission electric driving sector and has established a leading position. The automotive manufacturer offers a number of well known battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), to include:

• All-electric TWIZY
• All-electric ZOE E-TECH
• All-electric ZOE Van E-TECH
• All-electric Kangoo E-TECH
• All-electric Master E-TECH
• Captur E-TECH Plug-In Hybrid
• Megane E-TECH Plug-In Hybrid
• Megane Sport Tourer E-TECH Plug-In Hybrid

The all-electric Renault Twizy is a compact two-seater for the urban environment. The electric vehicle (EV) is perfect as a second car for running errands and other shorter commutes within a city or congested urban environment.

The quadricycle battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is currently manufactured in South Korea, but was originally produced in Spain. The green car concept made its debut in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Renault started selling the compact zero-emission EV in 2012. Despite some of its limitations, the EV has sold well, in particular in Asia. The electric car is also very popular with car sharing schemes.

Officially the Twizy is classed as a quadricycle, with certain regulations applying to such vehicles, to include weight and speed. The Twizy EV is not for everyone, and certainly not for those seeking luxury and space. The EV is compact and the second seat (tandem) is certainly a squeeze! The EV offers 31 L boot space. The EV offers: electronic engine immobiliser, range indicator with eco score, regenerative braking and Integrated 3m cable for 3-pin domestic socket.

The only real practicality on offer is that the Renault Twizy is easy to drive and park. The pure electric vehicle has a 6.8 m turning circle. Perfect for densely populated urban environments. The Citroën Ami is another example of a pure electric quadricycle.

In terms of EV battery size and pure electric range, the Twizy EV and Ami EV are quite similar. The Twizy electric has a 6.1 kWh onboard EV battery, with a pure electric range up to 100 km. The Citroën Ami has a 5.5 kWh EV battery with a 75 km EV range.

Given that most commutes in a city are short, a 100 km pure electric range is more than sufficient. The key is charging the EV battery on a regular basis. We at e-zoomed encourage a ‘topping up’ approach to charging an electric car. This way, there is always ‘juice’ available and regular charging is good for the long-term maintenance of the battery. Renault offers a 3 years/ 90,000 km warranty.

The electric car is cheap to run and cheaper than driving a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle. The car can be charged within 3.5 hours using any domestic plug i.e. no need for a dedicated electric car charging station for this EV. The Twizy has a top speed of 45 km/h. The rear-wheel drive electric car delivers a maximum power up to 17 hp and 57 Nm torque (50 m standing start: 6.6 seconds).

Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The all-electric Renault Twizy is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
Perfect for city driving (easy to drive and park)	Very limited range
One of the cheapest electric cars available	Very small boot space (31 litres)
Cheap to run	Security and safety issues in regards to doors, which are optional

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The All-Electric Renault Twizy Quadricycle (credit: Renault)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Vehicle Type:	Quadricycle
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	No

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Trims (1 Option)
Renault Twizy (Rs N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 6.1 kWh
Charging:	Onboard charger: 6 kW AC (0%-100%: 3.5 hrs/ 3-PIN domestic socket)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	3 years/ 90,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1454
Width (mm):	1234
Length (mm):	2338
Wheelbase (mm):	1686
Turning Circle (m):	6.8
Boot Space (L):	31

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Twizy Electric
EV Battery Capacity:	6.1 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	100 km
Charging:	Onboard charger: 6 kW AC (0%-100%: 3.5 hrs/ 3-PIN domestic socket)
Top Speed:	45 km/h
0-100 km/h:	N/A
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	13
Max Power (hp):	17
Torque (Nm):	57
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	2
Doors:	2 (optional)
Kerb Weight (kg)	474
Colours:	4
NCAP Safety Rating:	Two-Star

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India Electric Vehicle (EV) Market

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India, like many other countries, is well positioned to benefit from the shift to zero-tailpipe emission electric driving. Road transportation is a major contributor to air pollution (over 30%), choking our towns, cities and villages across India.

Diesel vehicles, in particular, diesel trucks and diesel buses, are significant sources for tailpipe emissions. But given the rise in the standard of living, since liberalisation, the demand for privately owned passenger cars has increased at an unprecedented pace, further worsening the air quality. India has more than 3 crores (30 million) cars releasing tailpipe emissions on its roads!

Though we have seen some improvements in air quality during the ongoing pandemic (as a result of lower vehicle traffic), India’s shift to electric driving will be key in achieving long-term higher air quality. Of course, apart from EVs, the continued development of green and renewable energy infrastructure will be key in achieving lower long-term air pollution.

India has already demonstrated global leadership in regards to large-scale solar and wind projects! Hopefully, India will replicate the success with zero-emission electric vehicles.

Despite recent announcements and support from local and national government agencies in India, the EV market is still at a nascent stage, well, at least in terms of electric cars and electric vans. Two-wheel electric scooters and three-wheel electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws) have demonstrated a strong uptake, and India is poised to become a global leader in electric scooters and electric rickshaws (e-tuk).

In fact, the ubiquitous e-rickshaw commands an impressive 83% of the Indian electric vehicle market. India currently has over 15 lakhs (1.5 million) e-rickshaws, with each EV playing a role in reducing tailpipe emissions on our roads in India.

Sales of passenger electric cars is still at an early stage. In FY2021, though the market witnessed a growth of nearly 110% from the previous year, the absolute volume of cars sold was only 5,905 electric cars. Currently there are less that 15 pure electric car models available on sale in India.

Tata Motors, the biggest automotive manufacturer in India has launched the Tata Nexon electric SUV. Mahindra Electric, another leading Indian automotive manufacturer, has also launched a number of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), to include, the Mahindra eVerito electric car, Mahindra eSupro electric van and Mahindra e2o Plus compact electric car. International manufacturers, like UK based MG Motors, have also launched the MG ZS electric SUV in India. Also available are the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUV and the Hyundai Kona electric SUV.

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Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Market

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Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), more commonly referred to simply as, electric vehicles (EVs) or as plug-in electric cars, have come a long way over the past decade and certainly a long way over the past 100 years.

Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation.  Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages.  

In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage.  Instead the avenue was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention at that time. 

We are now witnessing a similar fundamental shift in road transportation, as polluting internal combustion engines (ICE) petrol and diesel vehicles are being replaced by low-emission and zero-emission electric vehicles. In countries like the United Kingdom, a leader in e-mobility, we can expect a comprehensive replacement of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 (UK will ban the sale of new ICE cars in 2030). The UK is not the only country that has a vision of a mass transition to zero-tailpipe emission electric cars.

Since 2011, the global electric vehicle (EV) market has increased at a year-over-year growth rate of over 50%. In 2020, according to the Global EV Outlook 2021 report, the global stock of electric vehicles (EVs) had surpassed 10 million units . In 2015, the Global stock was just over 1 million units.

In 2020, Europe accounted for the largest share of new car registrations of EVs (1.4 million registered electric vehicles), followed by China (1.2 million electric vehicles). In Europe, countries like Norway, Iceland and Sweden continue to show strong leadership in the transition to electric driving. In Norway more than 75% of new cars are electric, followed by 50% in Iceland and 30% in Sweden.

However, this is not just a western phenomenon. A number of countries across the world have announced their support for electric cars, to include India. Pure electric cars are now common sightings in a number of global markets, and EV automotive manufacturers, like California based Tesla Motors are now household brands.

Traditional automotive manufactures have also shown significant commitment to the migration to electric engines, to include Volvo Cars, the Volkswagen Group, Renault, Nissan, Peugeot, Hyundai, Mercedes, Land Rover and many more. Forecast for the sale of EVs suggest up to 30 million electric vehicles to be sold before the end of the current decade.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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