Renault unveils its all-electric 5 E-Tech in Geneva

RENAULT has formally introduced its 5 E-Tech compact hatch at the Geneva Motor Show this week, the all-electric model debuting as a replacement to the aging Zoe.

While the model has not yet been confirmed for Australian showrooms, it is just the ticket for electric-savvy European buyers, offering a choice of three single-motor drivelines to deliver a range of up to 400km.

The Light segment Renault 5 will be made available with a choice of 40kWh and 50kWh battery packs with peak DC charge of up to 100kW available. Renault says that at its highest rate, the 5 can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes.

Like many EVs, the Renault 5 offers V2L (bi-directional) charging to power appliances or put energy back into the grid. It is powered by a 110kW/245Nm single motor and tips the scale at just under 1500kg.

In cutting the Renault 5 to an acceptable weight, the French manufacturer has leveraged its association with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, the ‘AmpR’ platform an adaptation of the CMF-B architecture found beneath the likes of the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.

Renault says the 5 E-Tech offers 326 litres of cargo capacity in the boot, and an extra 19 litres dispersed throughout the cabin.

Further, and in keeping with the brand’s environmental commitments, the 5 E-Tech will achieve what Renault says is an overall recyclability level of 85 per cent, the design incorporating 19.4 per cent recycled materials in its construction, and 26.6 per cent of materials recovered from within the circular economy – including 41kg of recycled polymers per unit.

“The R5’s DNA is unique. It is a joyful vehicle that attracts sympathy,” explained Renault brand CEO Fabrice Cambolive.

“It is a vehicle that is both popular and avantgarde, providing new solutions for the times it is living in.

“That was the case in 1972 (and) it will be the case in 2024. The Renault 5 E-Tech electric is a design masterstroke, a new brain with cutting-edge technologies and electric legs based on a new-generation platform that is unique in Europe.

“It is also the result of a commitment to responsible, sustainable production. Our teams have put a great deal of passion, excellent and hard work into developing the Renault 5 E-Tech electric.

“This passion and the love we have put into this car are highly contagious. The R5 has a single target: the hearts of our customers. It will leave its mark on the history of the brand.”

The Renault 5 E-Tech electric will launch in Europe in September of this year.