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Renault Kangoo ZE and Twizy 2014 Review

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Stuart Martin
Contributing Journalist
25 Oct 2014
3 min read

Postman Pat never had it so good. If the affable postie ventured into a Renault showroom in Europe, he'd be able to do deliveries emissions-free in a Kangoo electric van.

Renault has the Kangoo ZE (Zero Emissions) on trial with Australia Post, which already uses its light commercials.

More than 14,000 examples of the plug-in Kangoo have been sold in Europe in its four-year life. Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar says the trial is aimed at starting Australian sales.

"Renault is a global leader in electric vehicle technology, with four models currently on the market worldwide," he says. "Kangoo ZE has already been a strong sales success."

The little electric van is a comfortable operating environment, no different in operation from its mainstream counterparts. There is a battery level gauge and, instead of a tachometer, charge dials.

There's no diesel chug at idle and it's eerily quiet when under way — the lights in the display are the only clue it's working. That's not to say it will slow traffic or inconvenience other road users.

Fed by a 22kWh lithium-ion battery, the electric motor (44kW/226Nm) propels the Kangoo to 50km/h in 5.5 secs.

Claiming a real-world range of 80km-125km, depending on driving style, the van seems well-suited to metro delivery work.

A focused driver with deft throttle control could make good use of the regenerative braking — which sends charge back to the battery while slowing the vehicle — and leave the brake pedal largely alone.

Without a load in the four-cubic metre cargo bay it's not going to ride with aplomb but nipping around corners at pace is not beyond its skills. Given the electric motor's instant torque delivery, a judicious right foot is needed to avoid spinning the front wheels.

2014 Renault Twizy

Renault has imported examples of its two-seater electric Twizy to show authorities and potential buyers it's a worthy alternative to a scooter. With scissor-doors and weighing 474kg, the Twizy has to go through many legal hoops and be classed as a quadricycle to be driven here.

Sampled on a closed road circuit, the Twizy quickly endears itself. Fasten seat belts, drop the lightweight doors into place, turn a familiar key, release the handbrake and roll off silently, but for a faint whine from the 13kW/57Nm electric motor, fed by a 6.1kWh battery.

The weight of two occupants settles the ride. It can keep up with traffic — 0-45km/h takes a claimed 6.1 seconds. A broad 191cm passenger can fit behind a 175cm driver — that's a pleasant surprise. It doesn't mind corners, though turn-in is not sharp. Range is 50km-80km, top speed is 80km/h and it takes 3.5 hour to charge from flat, for less than $2.

Stuart Martin
Contributing Journalist
GoAutoMedia Stuart Martin started his legal driving life behind the wheel of a 1976 Jeep ragtop, which he still owns to this day, but his passion for wheeled things was inspired much earlier. Born into a family of car tinkerers and driving enthusiasts, he quickly settled into his DNA and was spotting cars or calling corners blindfolded from the backseat of his parents' car before he was out of junior primary. Playing with vehicles on his family's rural properties amplified the enthusiasm for driving and his period of schooling was always accompanied by part-time work around cars, filling with fuel, working on them or delivering pizzas in them. A career in journalism took an automotive turn at Sydney's Daily Telegraph in the early 1990s and Martin has not looked backed, covering motor shows and new model launches around the world ever since. Regular work and play has subsequently involved towing, off-roading, the school run and everything in between, with Martin now working freelance as a motoring journalist, contributing to several websites and publications including GoAuto - young enough for hybrid technology and old enough to remember carburettors, he’s happiest behind the wheel.
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