Recently, Luca de Meo, the boss of the Renault group, has been active.

The return of the iconic Twingo in 2026

Models multiply (new Renault Scénic and Rafale, Dacia Duster and Spring), projects are progressing, such as the new Renault 5 E-Tech just unveiled in Geneva, the upcoming Alpine A290 that will be based on it, or the large family SUV Dacia Duster that will be unveiled before the end of the year. It is also a time for celebration, p the prestigious Car of the Year title that Losange has just won with its new Scénic E-Tech. But the R5 and upcoming R4 won’t be the only models from the past that the brand is preparing to resurrect. At the launch of Ampere in November 2023, a new division dedicated to the development of electrical technologies, the iconic businessman lifted the curtain on a facelifted version of the 1992 Twingo ! It should return in electric form by 2026, and the price of the call will symbolically be below 20,000 euros. Few technical details have been shared about it, all we know is that it will be based on a shortened version of the AmpR Small platform (used by the R5 and R4) and will contain an average consumption of 10kWh/100km.

The complexity of developing small electrical models

The problem, and this trend is not new, is that Developing a small model like the Twingo is very expensive for automakers. Simply because these are entry-level cars that offer low margins. For this reason, in the past we have seen numerous alliances created between manufacturers: Toyota/Citroën/Peugeot, Renault/Smart, Volkswagen/Skoda/SEAT, Hyundai/Kia… To save money with this new Twingo, Luca De Meo is now calling for the same strategies. The group is already in talks with Volkswagen about pooling costs and converting the Twingo into the Volkswagen ID.1. But as director of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), he wants to go further and take a much more global approach to electric cars in Europe. Thus, he dreams of a “car aerobus” that will force several brands to work together pool batteries, motors and electrical technology. A joint strategy to counter Chinese manufacturers and their highly competitive prices in Europe by creating the European value chain component source.

He also wants to change European legislation on small electric cars is in favor of reducing taxes on models equipped with a battery of less than 30 kWh. Lobbying on this topic continues…

Read also:

Renault 5 Electric: what we already know

Electric car for 100 euros per month: which models are suitable?

Renault Mégane E-Tech electric test: Losange leader