The electric Renault 5 will be affordable and nostalgic

The French carmaker is betting heavily on a nostalgia-driven design for its upcoming electric city car, which will reportedly cost around $25,000.

Renault plans to launch at least seven new electric vehicles by 2025, with a market push based on the group’s new CMF-BEV platform. The seven cars include the new electric R5, which Renault has already unveiled as a prototype. The design draws heavily from the popular namesake city-car produced by the French manufacturer until 1996. Renault intends to launch even Supercinq and R5 Turbo models, albeit with a contemporary electric twist to the two configurations. 

“The design of the Renault 5 Prototype is based on the R5, a cult model of our heritage”, said Gilles Vidal, Renault’s design chief. “This prototype simply embodies modernity, a vehicle relevant to its time: urban, electric, attractive.”

While nostalgia will undoubtedly play a role in the new R5’s potential success, it’s the price that could set the new EV apart from the competition. Renault plans to sell the new R5 at 33% less than the Renault Zoe, which sets the entry price at around £18,500. Pair that with its claimed 400km range, and the new R5 has the potential to become a groundbreaking success when the production model hits the road in 2024.

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