Launched in 1992, Twingo quickly established itself as an icon on the automotive scene, radically transforming the A segment with its bold new vision of the city car. Cheerful, colourful and modular, Twingo invited everybody to “invent the life to go with it”. At that time, the market offered a wide range of city cars, with more arriving every year. But while Twingo continued to enjoy great success, selling over 4.1 million units in 25 countries over the generations, the A segment now makes up just 5% of the European market.
Contrary to popular belief, the current size of the A segment is not a reflection of low demand: motorists across Europe are still looking for compact, affordable vehicles, designed for urban living or for use as a second car. The problem lies in the size of the offering. Most manufacturers have simply pulled out of this segment, given the difficulty of reconciling competitive edge, compliance with standards, and modern customer expectations.
Building on its history and expertise in small cars, Renault decided to take up this challenge, and to view it as a major growth opportunity. As a result, Twingo E-Tech electric is a true game changer. It represents a sweeping transformation of the market, rewriting the standards of the A segment: a modern electric city car delivering high customer value at an affordable price.
To achieve this, the Twingo of 2026 maintains the DNA of the first generation, taking the fundamentals and adapting them to the modern day. Consolidating Renault's lead in e-mobility in the city car segment, it combines innovation, driving pleasure and environmental responsibility.
A vehicle of iconic and instantly recognisable design, Twingo E-Tech electric is also exceptionally spacious and modular, with five doors, two independent sliding rear seats standard on all versions, a folding backrest on the front passenger seat, and more. Interior space is optimised to meet every need, with a level of versatility never before achieved for this price.
Built for silent driving with zero exhaust emissions and cutting-edge technology, Twingo E-Tech electric ships with driving aids usually only found further up the market, along with the OpenR Link with Google built-in multimedia system – a first in this segment. The aim is to make electric cars easier to drive and encourage more people to make the switch. The ideally sized LFP battery (WLTP range of up to 263 km) functions with a lively, lightweight 60 kW (82 hp) motor. Twingo E-Tech electric is perfect for driving in and around cities, where the One Pedal function makes light work of day-to-day traffic jams. Finally, competitive pricing remains a priority: Twingo E-Tech electric sells at under €20 000 for the Evolution version. Even the Techno top-spec version is available at an attractive price. At the same time, it remains inexpensive to run, with low consumption (12.2 kWh/100 km based on the WLTP standard, approval in process).
Further, Twingo E-Tech electric makes no compromises on driveability. With the RGEV small platform (the same as Renault 5 and Renault 4 E-Tech electric) adapted for everyday use, a light weight (from 1,200 kilos) and precise steering, it is agile and responsive, delivering a surefooted, comfortable ride that remains composed, even when it leaves the city for faster roads.
Even more practical and convenient than before, Twingo E-Tech electric sets new standards for the A segment, while remaining true to the pioneering spirit of Renault and the original Twingo. It meets the expectations of customers across Europe in full, while bringing an optimistic vibe to the city.
Three objectives satisfied by Twingo E-Tech electric
Developed as part of an innovative and unique international organisation, Twingo E-Tech electric reflects Renault's ambition to pursue every possible means to bring electric vehicles into the mainstream and make them widely affordable. It was designed to meet three major objectives.
1/ Make electric mobility affordable and more sustainable
Responding to strong demand from European households for the return of lower-priced models, the team set to work to develop an affordable and more sustainable electric city car, with an entry-level price of under €20,000 (excluding government subsidies). This involved completely rethinking the design and production process, drawing on all the expertise available.
Reflecting this, Twingo E-Tech electric ships with an LFP battery, a first for Renault Group. This technology is based on materials available in abundant supply, such as iron and phosphate, rather than on critical metals. Combined with the cell-to-pack architecture, this technology reduces the overall cost of the battery by around 20%.
With the optimised motor and fine-tuned aerodynamics, consumption is very low, paving the way for a battery that is smaller and lighter, contributing to lower running costs. The clear aim was to develop a competitive electric alternative to small combustion-powered cars.
Further, the vehicle was designed from the outset to achieve a small environmental footprint. As a result, the carbon footprint of Twingo E-Tech electric is 60% smaller than an equivalent ICE city car, over the entire life cycle.
Renault is also advancing the decarbonisation of materials by incorporating, for the first time in the body‑in‑white sheet metal, 38 kg of European low‑carbon steel produced in electric arc furnaces and composed of 75% circular‑economy material*. This approach makes it possible to avoid 2,850 tonnes of CO₂e**.
* including recycled materials as defined by ISO 14021, as well as production scraps or offcuts reintegrated directly into the manufacturing processes within an industrial site.
** based on the full‑year average of projected sales volumes
2/ Cut vehicle development time to two years
Twingo E-Tech electric was developed faster than any other model in Renault's history: just 100 weeks between kick-off and production – twice as fast as previous electric models – while still meeting the Group's quality standards.
To achieve this, Renault set up a unique organisation, combining European know-how and Chinese innovation, organised around three pillars: Ampere, ACDC and the Novo Mesto assembly plant. This new method paves the way for a generation of vehicles based on a faster, simpler and more efficient design process.
The design process began in France, at the Technocentre, using the RGEV small platform, specially designed for the A and B segments. A streamlined governance structure allowed for faster decision-making, reducing back-and-forth between business lines and ensuring complete integration with Renault's electric strategy
The second phase took place in China with ACDC, the R&D centre set up in Shanghai in 2024. The aim here was to take advantage of the local ecosystem, renowned for its rapid development times, competitive costs and technological expertise. Supported by the local ecosystem and also by new industrial partners, the project gained in speed and efficiency. The Twingo project involved around 100 ACDC engineers, responsible for systems integration and project management. It was in France, moreover, that development of the platform, electronics, software, multimedia and driving aids was carried out.
Finally, Twingo E-Tech electric is built at the Novo Mesto plant in Europe, guaranteeing quality and reliability. More collaborative and cross-functional than a conventional development process, just like the reduction in the number of parts in the vehicle compared to usual, this global approach allowed us to shave a full year off the development time for an equivalent model, while reducing investment by half.
This pilot project illustrates Renault's ambitions and targets in terms of a reduced timescale:
- 16% for upstream activities,
- 41% for development,
- 26% for production.
For Renault, this is a major achievement that will now set the benchmark for the Group's future projects.
3/ Maintain a competitive production base in Europe
Assembled in Novo Mesto (Slovenia), Twingo E-Tech electric gains an optimised industrial organisation and a local supply chain. ACDC worked closely with Novo Mesto ahead of its arrival on the assembly line. The Group has made major investments in this plant, in order to turn it into a model of sustainability and industrial intelligence for European customers. Key points of this transformation include the:
- Modernisation of systems across the production chain, with new lines for the injection moulding and painting of bumpers, as well as for the assembly of the seats and front crossmember.
- Upskilling of employees through intensive training and retraining programmes in digital know-how and electric vehicle technologies.
- Ecological and digital transition of the site, with the implementation of solutions such as Plant Connect (industrial metaverse) and a solar power plant, underlining the Group's commitment to more responsible and connected production.
This project is fully in line with the strategy adopted by Renault to combine industrial performance with technological innovation and environmental responsibility. Many suppliers are located in close proximity to the factory. At the other end of the production chain, 75% of the customers of Twingo E-Tech electric are less than 1,000 kilometres from the plant. In both cases, this helps to reduce logistics costs and carbon footprint.