renault partnered with French EV converter R-Fit to present R-Fit’s upcoming classic electric car Renault. The Electric Car will be on display at the Renault booth at vintage car show Retromobile.
R-Fit will provide conversions for three of Renault’s most famous economy cars from the last century: the 4, 5 (Le Car in the US) and the Renault Twingo. The first one available will be the 4th, with pre-orders opening today, 1st February, followed by the 5th in September and the Twingo at a later date.
R-Fit handles the entire conversion process and doesn’t sell components as DIY options. It swaps the internal combustion engine with a brushless motor of unknown power. R-Fit simply says it’s comparable to factory output. For reference, the 4 makes a little more than 20 or 30 hp depending on model and date of manufacture (they were sold from the 1960s to the early 1990s). That motor is bolted to the factory transmission and differential. Customers can choose to keep the old engine or let R-Fit take it to refurbish and recycle parts depending on the condition.
Electricity comes from lithium-iron phosphate the battery has a total capacity of 10.7 kWh. R-Fit estimates the range to be 80-90 kilometers (about 50-55 miles). Charging time is about 3 and a half hours on 220-volt charger.
Since R-Fit doesn’t sell its system as a kit, only people who can bring their car to the company for installation can get it. That’s a bit of a letdown for those who own classic Renaults abroad. But if you can get them, the entire conversion, including parts and settings, will cost 11,900 Euros, or $12,976. And in case you’re not a Renault owner, R-Fit also has a kit for the Citroën 2CC.
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