Spotlight: The Renault 5 electric concept
Martyn Collins has all the details on the iconic French brand’s electric strategy, and an all-new Renault 5 supermini.
It is a ‘Renaulution’
More than a play on the name of the French manufacturer, ‘Renaulution’ is the name of Renault’s new strategy for the next five years. The result will see the carmaker renowned for popular models such as the Clio evolve into a clean energy brand.
By 2025, Renault will launch 14 new core vehicles – seven of those being full electric (including the all-new, all-electric 5 previewed here) and in the C -and D-segments. Furthermore, all future new models will be available in electric or hybrid versions.
A clean energy brand
Renault’s aim is to become a leader in the transition to electric power. The brand will do this by challenging the established leaders in the hybrid market, with its E-Tech technology – recently debuted on the current Clio and Captur ranges.
Also, Renault will build on its continued popularity in the electric market with the Zoe EV via a new range of models. These will be grouped into families based on the brand’s dedicated electric platforms, dubbed CMF-EV and CMF-B EV, with the target being to deliver the greenest mix of cars in the European market.
That’s not its only target either; Renault is also aiming to offer the best connectivity and high-tech services in its cars. The next version of its My Link infotainment system will have Google services built in.
Rebirth of the 5
Looking to the future, Renault designers – under head Gilles Vidal – have gone back to the past for their inspiration with the R5.
If you remember the original Renault – on sale from 1972-96 and replaced by the Clio – you’ll notice there’s a lot of its avant-garde design in the front and rear lights, profile and rear pillars of this city car. Cleverly, these unique features hide some of the more modern elements, for example the air intake hides the charging hatch. The vertical lights have aero flaps and the fog lights in the bumper are in fact daytime running lights.
Underneath, the city car is all-new and will be fully electric; it’s expected to be built on one of the company’s aforementioned electric platforms. It’s officially called a concept and there are no details of range or price yet. But the rumour is, there will be a production version of this ‘5’ on sale in just five years.
What we think
The ‘Renaulution’ strategic plan is bold and will shake up the EV sector – especially with attractive and relevant models such as the production version of the Renault 5 city car.
It’s interesting that with such a forward-looking plan for an electrified range that Renault says will embody modernity and innovation, the design for one of its future electric hopes originated in the 70s. But it’s an approach already proving popular for the Fiat 500 and Honda e.
We’re looking forward to seeing the results.
Martyn Collins
Martyn has 18 years experience as a motoring journalist, working across a wide selection of B2B and consumer titles. A car enthusiast since his early years, Martyn has a particular interest in the latest models and technology and in his spare time enjoys driving his own Minis.
