Bojan Vrbnjak
It is known that after the R5 and R4 electric models, Renault will introduce an electric Twingo in 2026, which will also have a retro look and will cost less than 20.000 euros. The brand has now announced that a Nissan derivative will also be available.
The new, as-yet-unnamed model will be the group's third electric car on the platform in 2026, following the Nissan Ariya mid-size SUV based on the AmpR (formerly known as CMF-EV) mid-size platform and the soon-to-be-launched Nissan Micra on the small the AmpR platform, which also includes the R5 and R4 Electric models.
In a press release marking the first birthday of Ampera, Renault's electric car division, the brand says: 'Following an initial successful technical collaboration on a future compact electric car, Nissan has asked Ampere to support the development of its next A-segment electric car. This vehicle would benefit from newly introduced breakthrough processes, Ampere's cost reduction strategy and shorter development time.”
The compact electric car probably refers to the new Nissan Leaf, which is likely to be based on the AmpR Medium model. The Micra is a small car (segment B) with a length of about four meters. Renault Twingo is one level lower in segment A, i.e. the smallest cars. On the other hand, the 4,60 meter long Ariya competes in the middle class (segment D). With a new car costing €20.000, both brands would get a vehicle that could compete with cheap Chinese imports. In addition, we could split the development costs. They have already discussed cooperation in this area with the VW Group - after all, the brand from Wolfsburg is also planning a car that will be even cheaper than the ID.2 model, which costs around 25.000 euros.
However, consultations with VW in May were unsuccessful. According to Motor1, the union is to blame for this. IG Metall did not want to allow the new vehicle to be built abroad, while German factories suffered from underutilized capacity. Ampere expects the electric car market to grow by 25 percent per year over the next five years, which likely means a global market. Renault's electric car division aims to capitalize on this growth. Ampere founded ElectriCity in northern France for production. This includes the Douai, Maubeuge and Ruitz plants and works closely with the Cléon plant, where electric drives are manufactured.
ElectriCity and two Ampere platforms
Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, Scenic E-Tech Electric, Renault 5 E-Tech Electric and Renault 4 E-Tech Electric are manufactured in ElectriCity. The Twingo, however, is apparently manufactured in Novi Mesto, Slovenia, presumably to keep labor costs low. In July, the Reuters agency reported on the signing of a corresponding agreement with the Slovenian government. Initially, 150.000 vehicles per year were to be produced there. The factory, which has existed since 1955, also produced the old Renault Twingo Electric model.
AmpR platforms are used for more and more vehicles:
- AmpR Small: Renault 5 Electric, Renault 4 Electric, Alpine A290, Nissan Micra
- AmpR Medium: Renault Megane Electric, Renault Scenic Electric, Nissan Ariya, Alpine A390, Mitsubishi SUV, Nissan Leaf
Nissan's compact electric car (presumably the Leaf) is said to be "developed by Ampere" and will be produced "from 2025". The press release also confirms rumors about Mitsubishi's Scenic equivalent: it talks about "Mitsubishi's C-segment electric SUV, which will be developed on the Ampere Medium platform and will be produced in Douai from 2025".
Battery plans from Ampera
A new center for advanced development in China should also contribute to the faster development of electric vehicles. Costs are likely to be driven down by LFP batteries, which Ampere plans to introduce from 2026, i.e. batteries with lithium iron phosphate on the cathode instead of the commonly used nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry. Ampere also says it can already offer customers cell-to-pack technology and is working on cell-to-chassis (CTC) technology.
Ampere wants to introduce cobalt-free batteries in 2028. LFP batteries are also cobalt-free, but Renault is probably referring to nickel-containing and cobalt-free batteries. The new chemistry "combines the energy density of NMC batteries with the cost and safety of LFP technology and offers charging times of less than 15 minutes," according to the press release. By 2030, a solid-state battery with a cobalt-free cathode and a lithium-metal anode will be available, which is expected to double the energy density.
Ampere plans to offer the first European SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) from 2026. It is said to be based on the FlexEVan platform, which Renault recently presented together with the Estafette van study. The platform is based on a "horizontal development approach" that reduces costs. With the combination of these achievements, the company is "well on its way to achieving its goal of reducing costs by 40 percent between the first and second generation of electric vehicles for the C segment, which is planned for 2028". LFP technology and new technologies such as cell-to-pack mainly contribute to this."
