Battery size: 27.5kWh
Miles per kWh: 5.9
E-Rating™: A++
Max charge rate: 50 kW
Range: 163 miles 
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Renault Twingo E-Tech - Introduction
Concept cars are a bit like online dating - they offer loads of promise, but the reality often disappoints. Not this time. The Renault Twingo E-Tech electric turns its adorable show-car looks into a genuine, usable city EV without losing any of the fun. It revives one of Renault’s most-loved badges with a modern twist: small on the outside, surprisingly roomy inside and filled with cheerful character.
This fourth-generation Twingo is an all-electric reboot developed at record speed - just 100 weeks from project green light to sign-off - on the same platform as the Renault 5 and Renault 4.
The car was engineered between France, and China, and will be built in Slovenia. It is expected to arrive in the UK later in 2026 with pricing from under £20,000. Although we haven't got finalised specs, we're expecting two trims - evolution and techno. Whichever of those you go for, the Twingo is gets five-door models with clever sliding rear seats and loads of cute yet practical touches.
Its natural rivals are affordable small EVs such as the Citroen e-C3, Fiat 500e and BYD Dolphin Surf and Dacia Spring. The Twingo’s pitch is straightforward: make electric driving affordable again, without feeling like a compromise. And because it will be made in Europe, it should qualify for the UK electric car grant.
Range, battery and charging
Under the bonnet sits a 27.5 kWh (usable) LFP battery paired with a 82hp motor, delivering up to 163 miles of WLTP range. That’s ideally pitched for urban drivers, Renault reckons typical owners cover around 22 miles per day and in the real world you can expect between 110 and 150 miles depending on temperature and driving style. I actually managed to get nearly 5.0 miles/kWh in real-world driving on the international launch out in Ibiza on some fairly fast roads and a bit of town stuff, so the Twingo really is impressively efficient in the real world.
If you want bit more range than that in a similarly compact car, a used Hyundai Inster would be my first recommendation. A Citroen e-C3 and a BYD Dolphin Surf are also both really good that get a bit more range.
The LFP battery chemistry is tough and cost-effective, while cell-to-pack construction improves energy density and cuts weight and cost. A built-in pre-conditioning system helps protect winter range by preparing the battery to the ideal temperature to take a charge, but the Twingo doesn't come with a heat pump.
Charging options are straightforward. A 6.6 kW AC charger comes as standard and will replenish the battery from 10 to 100 per cent in around four hours and a quarter on a home wallbox. An optional upgrade adds 11 kW AC, which can be useful for destination chargers in gyms ad supermarkets, and also for kerbside and lampost chargers that you may be relying on if you don't have a driveway.
It hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's likely that the Twingo will get 50 kW DC capability, reducing AC charging to about two and a half hours and allowing a 10–80 per cent DC fast charge in roughly half an hour. With the 11 kW onboard charger the car also supports bidirectional charging: a V2L (vehicle-to-load) function can power appliances at up to 3.7 kW, and full V2G (vehicle-to-grid) capability will be available through Mobilize hardware in some countries. In other words, you can charge your electrical devices from the car's high battery if you want to, and with a compatible home charger you can also send power back into your home and the grid - effectively turning your Twingo into a portable power pack on your driveway.
Practicality and boot space
This is where the Twingo really shines, not least because (unlike the original car) the Renault Twingo E-Tech now offers five-door flexibility. At 3.8m long and with a 2.5m wheelbase and 9.87-metre turning circle, it's nice and compact on the outside but inside it feels a size up. Rear passengers get a surprising amount of legroom, so I can sit comfortably in one of the two rear seats that the Twingo offers, although I reckon lanky teens and adults that are getting towards six-foot will find headroom tight. It's still really spacious by the standards of the A-segment class it sits in, and the two independent sliding rear seats can move 17cm back and forth, so you can choose between extra legroom or a larger boot.
With the seats pushed forward, boot capacity reaches 360 litres, although that shrink to 260 litres with them pushed back and you'll want them like that if you've got pasengers as there's no legroom with them pushed forwards! Fold the backrests and you get more than 1,000 litres of space. A 50-litre under-floor compartment stores charging cables neatly and remains accessible even when the boot is full, which is a very neat trick.
Around the cabin there are about 19-litres of handy storage, including deep door bins and a large central console. Charming touches like the original Twingo slogan printed on the seat straps add character. Compared with rivals, the 500e feels more boutique but is less versatile, and while the e-C3 offers a bigger boot overall, it can’t match the Twingo’s clever rear-seat layout. You have to look to the Hyundai Inster for a similar level of versatility in such a small car, and that's quite a bit more expensive!
As with the Renault 5 there’s a range of accessories on offer. Everything from Chanel lipstick inspired gear selector covers to colour coded key covers and hooks to hang your handbag on. There's also the 'You Clip' system that we've already seen in Dacia cars (Dacia is also a Renault Group brand). This makes an appearance in the electric Twingo, offering some really cute yet practical options for charging cable ties or shopping bag holders. Joining the accessories down the line will be a range aimed at dog owners to keep their furry friends happy. Basically, the Twingo is small but also seriously practical, with loads of neat touches that'd put Skoda to shame for simple but clever solutions.
Interior, design and technology
Renault has successfully translated the concept’s cuteness into a production car. The horseshoe-shaped LED lights front and rear, smiling grille and wheels pushed to the corners give it a playful stance, while bright paint choices, including three that are bespoke to Twingo - Absolute Green, Absolute Red and Mango Yellow - underline its fun personality.
Inside, an oval dashboard appears to float across the cabin and features the classic red hazard button - inspired by the first generation Twingo - in a clear surround. I think it looks so cool! And also, it's occurred to me that a lot of hazard warning buttons are quite well hidden, which isn't what you want when you're panicking and need your hazard lights. A big red hazard button on the dash is actually common sense, as well as kind of cute.
Every Twingo model gets two screens: a 7-inch driver display and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment in the centre, both with friendly graphics and animations. Entry-level Evolution models use Renault’s connected multimedia system with wired or wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Step up to the Techno and you get the OpenR Link system with Google built-in, complete with Google Maps EV route planning, Google Assistant voice control and access to over a hundred apps from the Play Store. There’s also Reno, an animated avatar that acts as your virtual co-pilot and EV expert, handling voice commands for charging and climate while answering common questions.
Mind you, UK specific trims haven't been confirmed yet and this lineup is based on the European trims, so that may be subject to change.
As with the Renault 5, heated seats may only be available on the top-spec Techno. We can only hope Renault doesn’t repeat that mistake when it finalises UK specifications.
Safety and driver assistance are unusually comprehensive for this size of car, with up to 24 systems available depending on trim. Adaptive cruise control with a traffic jam assist so that the car stops- and starts with the flow of cars, hands-free parking, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic emergency braking and blind-spot warning all feature - and even the entry level Twingo Evolution comes with cruise control.
Motors, performance and handling
I drove the Renault Twingo around Ibiza on the international launch (it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it), and I can confirm that it's as fun to drive as it is cute to look at. It's so good - in a simple, uncomplicated and cheerful way.
Power comes from a single front electric motor that powers the front wheels and produces 82hp. This may not sound like much but the Twingo only weighs around 1200kg, so it still sprints from 0- to 31mph in 3.85 seconds and reaches 62mph in 12.1 seconds, with a top speed of 81mph. I honestly couldn't care less about that top speed, because in the UK that's more than enough and the rest of the time the Twingo is great fun. It's got loads of grip so you can swing it gamely into corners and around roundabouts, and ride comfort is well damped enough to soak up the worst road surfaces but the body doesn't lean or wobble too much.
There are no drive modes (I love that there are no drive modes), just predictable, light steering, perky power delivery up to around 50mph, and a fun chassis. It all gels really well and makes the Twingo really easy and fun around town or country roads, while it also feels surprisingly composed and confident on faster A roads.
Sure, bigger and more expensive compact EVs like the Kia EV2 and Renault 5 are going to be better if you do fairly regular longer journeys, but you wouldn't feel at all worried about taking the Twingo on a motorway journey if you needed to.
One-pedal driving comes on the top-spec Techno trim, which I'm really pleased about as I like using one-pedal driving in EVs; it allows you to slow and stop using only the accelerator, making stop-start traffic smoother and conserving energy as you go. Brake regen' levels can be adjusted through three levels using paddles behind the wheel, and all of them are predictable and easy to get used to.
It's just a delight to drive, the Twingo. I've only driven the top-spec car with variable brake regen and 18-inch alloy wheels, which I'm sure contributes to making it feel a bit more grown up, but it is impressive how easy and confident the baby Renault EV is to drive. It feels way more stable and mature than the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03, for instance - and more fun!
Running costs and pricing
Renault has confirmed that the Twingo will cost under £20,000 once UK sales begin later in 2026, but the final equipment levels and pricing will be critical as every pound matters at this end of the market. Obviously, it'll really be the monthly finance and leasing costs that will make or break the Twingo E-Tech electric - here's hoping that it'll cost less than £200 per month! It’s built in Europe, at the company's Slovenia factory. so the Twingo should qualify for the UK electric car grant if that fund is still running when it launches.
Running costs will be low: LFP batteries are durable and happy with regular charging, servicing is minimal (brake fluid every three years, coolant every six) and insurance groups should be modest thanks to the car’s size and output. Charging at home on an off-peak tariff will cost pennies per mile - as little as 2p per mile - and even public charging should be affordable given how efficient the electric Twingo is in the real world.
Verdict
The Renault Twingo E-Tech Electric is precisely what the small-EV market needs: a fun, affordable city car that feels clever rather than cheap. Its packaging is brilliant - those sliding rear seats make everyday life easier - and its battery is right-sized for urban drivers. Opt for the techno and you’ll get best-in-class infotainment and safety tech, or even if you go for the more basic evolution then you’ll probably still have a well-equipped, cheerful EV for the price of many petrol superminis. And it's just a joy to drive, too, so it'll be great for learner drivers or new drivers, or any drivers actually. I've been driving for nearly twenty five years and I want one, too... I'll have my Twingo in techno trim, with Mango Yellow paint and heated seats, thanks.
It's a fun, cheeky, practical and great value little EV, and an instant hit with us at Electrifying. I reckon it'll be a hit with UK buyers once it goes on sale, too.
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