Open gallery 
by Steve Cropley 9 October 2013 Follow @StvCr Share
How we test cars
The Renault Twizy first saw the light of day at Frankfurt in 2009 as the Twizy ZE concept.
Among that motor show’s smash hits, it effortlessly stole the limelight from Renault’s original Renault Zoe concept. Enclosed wheels and a state-of-the-art headlamp arrangement were the only features not to make the finished article.
The Twizy is part scooter, part car and makes sense for congested citiesSteve CropleyEditor-in-chief
Renault can claim no intellectual ownership of the EV microcar concept; energy-efficient personal mobility machines have made regular appearances at shows for more than a decade.
After what seems like the longest of long infancies, the market for electric cars is beginning to mature. Nissan’s Nissan Leaf, the 2011 Car of the Year, continues to blaze its uncompromising trail across Europe and the wider world.
Meanwhile, in the shape of its sibling the Renault Zoe, the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf, Tesla Model S, and the recently added Hyundai Ioniq, you could say that Britain has its first truly usable family EVs.
The Twizy needs no government incentive to earn a place among Britain’s most affordable EVs. Part-car, part-scooter, and entirely zero emissions (at the tailpipe), it’s exactly the kind of machine that, future gazers claim, will populate our burgeoning cities in years to come.
But what about here and now?
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Renault Twizy
GoodFunky designLow running costsEase of useBadExposed natureRange and practicality issuesCrashy ride quality