Tech

Electric Renault R5: a price below €25,000, but a lower autonomy

During the presentation of its new Renaulution strategy, the diamond brand lifted the veil on a brand new electric R5. To hope to convince and seduce as many buyers as possible ahead of its planned launch in 2024, the manufacturer has made a promise: display a price of less than €25,000. Only, to keep this commitment, it will be necessary to make concessions.

R5 electric
Credits: Renault

Remember, in December 2021, the new CEO of Renault Luca de Meo unveiled the new strategy of the diamond brand. Called “Renaulution”, this three-phase strategic plan aims in particular to make Renault the French leader in electric cars, with the launch of at least seven models by 2025.

To do this, the manufacturer has also created a 100% electric production center in the north of France. Indeed, the Renault Group Electricity, made up of the industrial sites of Douai, Maubeuge and Ruitz, will become the epicenter of the production of the company’s electric cars. On the occasion of this announcement, the successor of Jean-Dominique Senard lifted the veil on the R5 Prototype.

With this model, whose launch is currently scheduled for the beginning of 2024, Renault obviously wants to give a second life to this cult car while offering a modern reinterpretation. This approach is also visible “in the finishes and materials chosen, which are inspired by the world of electronics, furniture and sports”, explained Gilles Vidal’s design team.

R5 electric
Credits: Renault

The promise of €25,000 complicated to keep

Regarding the technical aspect, it was announced that this R5 E-Tech would benefit from a 52 kWh battery, which is already found on the Renault Zoé and which offers around 400 km of autonomy. But the number one promise was above all at the level of the estimated price: below the €25,000 mark.

Only and as our colleagues fromAutomotive Magazineit will necessarily be necessary to make concessions, especially on the battery (which makes up 40% of the total price of an electric car), to meet this price commitment. According to their information, Renault’s technical teams considered for a time, with the help of Nissan, to include a lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP), significantly cheaper than traditional nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries.

However, these LFP batteries have a lower autonomy, with a loss of about 30%. To guarantee the 400 km of autonomy, Renault could then have opted for a larger LFP battery. But here again there is a problem. The R5 remains a compact city car, under 4 meters in length. Knowing this, it is difficult to integrate an LFP battery offering the expected autonomy without thoroughly reviewing the design of the car.

R5 electric
Credits: Renault

Also read: Renault presents the 4ever Trophy, the 100% electric version of the mythical 4L

Towards an entry-level model with reduced autonomy

In the end, this false good idea was not adopted. Especially since the installation of a heavier battery requires strengthening the suspensions and brakes of the electric R5… This inevitably leads to an increase in price.. In any case, said Gilles le Borgne, head of engineering for the Renault group, to Automobile Magazine.

Faced with this impasse, Renault therefore made up its mind and decided to turn once again to NMC batteries. Nevertheless, the question of the price remains: how can Renault offer the R5 at 25,000 € by integrating the same battery as that used on the Zoé (it sold for €35,000)? Impossible according to Automobile Magazine. For the media, Renault will have to offer several versions of the R5, with an entry-level model equipped with a 22 kWh battery, as on the electric Twingo, to stay below the €25,000 mark. However, this version will inevitably suffer from reduced autonomy, namely up to 270 km in urban WLTP cycle and 190 km in WLTP cycle.

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