New Renault 5 heads wave of sub £25,000 EVs

It was not hard to pick out the Renault stand at this year’s Geneva Show, thankfully revived after five years away, since the number of key manufacturers present were few.

But what was presented on the stand was hugely important, and highly relevant in a market that needs stimulation because Renault chose the moment to unveil its new Renault 5 E-Tech.

Thankfully little changed from the retro appearance of its original concept shown by Renault in 2021, the new Renault 5 embodies everything that’s good about a French supermini and everything that’s good about an electric vehicle (EV) but at a price point that’s more attainable.

And this is the key aspect of the new Renault. Its proposed cost is below £25,000, finally offering consumers – and not to mention fleet customers – an EV without the onerous price tag.

So what do they get with the new Renault 5?

There will be two battery options – the 40kWh version gets 186 miles of range while the larger  52kWh version should hit just shy of 250 miles on a charge.

Plus there’s plenty of design cues from past Renault 5 models – and there’s also the chance to add a certain French je ne sais quoi with an interior baguette holder (although a French beret is a personal option).

But Renault isn’t the only car maker offering or about to offer electric cars below £25,000.

Citroen will soon be offering its e-C3 five-seater hatchback at somewhere between £22-£23,00 with a sub-£20,000 model said to be in the offing (although that will have a smaller battery and therefore range).

With its crossover styling the e-C3 will undoubtedly be popular as a practical family runabout along with fabled Citroen ride quality of old. Citroen says it can be fast-charged swiftly to top up its 199 mile range.

The new sub-£25k EV cars don’t stop there. Let’s not forget the Dacia Spring. The new Spring has chunky looks on a high stance for a supermini crossover look. It features a 27kW battery pack for lightness (and affordability) to give a range of 137 miles. Which for most runarounds is more than ample.

And there seems to be more coming soon as well.

Fiat is promising a new Fiat Panda city car in the summer. We don’t have many details yet, but the Stellantis owned company revealed five concepts on the day the Geneva show began (although not actually at Geneva).

Bigger than the current Panda, its design was inspired by the brand’s birthplace: the iconic Lingotto building in Turin with its famous rooftop test track.

There’s the use of sustainable materials, including recycled plastics and bamboo fabrics, while Fiat says the car will be easier to charge with a “self-winding cable”. Among the other models shown was a pickup, a fastback and an SUV.

So I welcome this new focus on more affordable EVs.

These cars have the genuine opportunity to stimulate interest in EVs that are affordable to consumers, provide cheaper alternatives to the many employees who are taking up electric car salary sacrifice schemes at work, and make sustainable mobility a genuine proposition.