Renault has revealed its City K-ZE electric compact crossover at the Shanghai motor show ahead of sales starting in China later this year.
The new model, which is understood to offer a 155-mile range on the NEDC test cycle, was first revealed in concept form at the Paris motor show last year and is a key part of the French’s firm’s plan to dramatically increase its sales in China.
It becomes Renault’s smallest EV, sitting beneath the Renault Zoe, being broadly similar in size to the conventionally powered Twingo, with a wheelbase of 2423mm and a boot capacity of 300 litres.
Inside, the City K-ZE has an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone compatibility.
It offers multiple charging modes, including a fast-charge function that can fill the battery from empty to 80% in 50 minutes.
The City KZ-E will be built in China by eGT New Energy Automotive, a joint venture between the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng.
It's based on Renault and Nissan’s CMF-A platform, currently used on the Indian-market Renault Kwid and Datsun Redi-Go. Renault has previously said the platform will be modified heavily for the City K-ZE, both to accommodate the electirc powertrain and to fit the expectations of differing markets.
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A compact electric City car
A compact electric City car seems a sure fire winner in this class
If the price is right...
This could be very successful if it's seriously cheaper than electric cars typically are. To be sold here it'll need to be much safer than the Kwid it's based on, which only gets one star in the crash test, but I'm sure they can do that. It doesn't look quite as cute and simple as the Kwid sadly. Not quite sure how they've made it look a bit too fussy and chintzy.
"Designed to European quality standards"
Is that good or bad?
On a more serious note, why not market this here as a budget Dacia?