Renault is offering an alternative to the European Commission's E-Car
- The European Commission recently made a proposal to carmakers to try to revive the European electric vehicle market and achieve the goal of battery electric car sales in Europe by 2035. This proposal concerned the design, industrialization and marketing of small cars sold for less than 15,000 euros each, these models being inspired by the Kei cars sold in Japan.
- As a reminder, to be classified as a Kei car in Japan, a vehicle must not exceed 3.40 m in length, 1.48 m in width, and 2 m in height. Engine power is limited to 64 hp for internal combustion engines and 47 kW for electric motors. Engine displacement is limited to 660 cc for internal combustion engines. However, there are no weight restrictions, allowing for electric versions to be offered without altering the prescribed dimensional standards.
- Gerpisa (Permanent Study and Research Group on the Automotive Industry and Employees) is proposing the launch of M0 models, a new category composed of BEVs with a maximum length of 3.80 m and a maximum weight of 1,000 kilos.
- Renault makes another proposal: the launch of M1 models, BEVs with a maximum length of 4.20 m and equipped with a maximum battery capacity of 60 kWh, which allows the Renault 4 E-Tech and Renault 5 E-Tech to fall into this category.
- Currently, between 350,000 and 450,000 models produced in Europe theoretically fall under category M1E, representing approximately 3% of European production. There are currently no cars in Europe that correspond to category M0.