Electric car: A versatile compact car for all – the Renault 4 E-Tech Electric

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Renault is currently going full retro, and the compact electric car model Renault 4 E-Tech Electric, – like the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, which is already available to order, and the electric Twingo announced for 2026, are also based on successful, indeed iconic models from the long history of the traditional brand. The R4, which is now legendary for good reason, was introduced the furthest back in the past and was also the technical basis for the first generation of the R5. The electric cars inspired by them are very similar; they are both based on the same technical architecture AmpR Small and thus offer the front-wheel drive familiar from their role models. However, the manufacturer sees the Renault 4 E-Tech Electric not just as a city car, but as a compact car for everyday use.

For this reason, the models do not adhere to the order or size ratios of the past: Renault positions the R4 in the B segment above the R5 and launches it later on the market. The R5 was intended to be an urban car, the R4 a more universal car. It was therefore logical to build the R4 larger and to equip it better in some details. The R4 is 4.14  meters long, 1.80  meters wide and 1.57  meters high. With a wheelbase of 2.62 meters, it offers 420 liters of trunk space. At 3.92 m long, 1.77 m wide, 1.50 m high and with a wheelbase of 2.54 m , the Renault R5 E-Tech is significantly more compact.

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Renault 4 E-Tech Electric Exterieur (11 Bilder)

One advantage of the technical basis is the multi-link independent suspension for the rear wheels, which is normally only used in higher vehicle classes. It decouples the two wheels in a way that is noticeably more comfortable and allows a dynamic driving style. Even if this is not a reminiscence, it is a further, albeit invisible, parallel to the R4 from 1961, whose rear independent suspension (on trailing arms with torsion bar springs) was also not commonplace at the time.

Multi-link independent suspension

The ground clearance is atypically high for a modern car, at 18.1  centimetres it is on a par with SUV models. Renault expressly points out that, in conjunction with an appropriately designed slip control system, this is also intended to achieve a certain level of off-road capability. The wheel size on all models is 18 inches, although Renault has already equipped show models with 20-inch wheels.

Renault has been able to limit the loading sill height to just 607 millimetres, as on the original, whereas on other cars of a comparable format you have to live with a lower edge that is on average ten centimetres higher. At the same time, the very steep tailgate creates an above-average loading opening. The 420  liters of trunk space are almost as impressive. The electric car also follows its role model in this respect: Renault boss Pierre Dreyfus is said to have said during the development of the R4 in 1959: "I want something with volume!" What will only be available today: A flat folding passenger seat makes it easier to transport long loads.

Exemplary: a fabric roof

With so much loyalty to the role model, it is hardly surprising that the developers also set themselves the goal of offering a fabric roof, as similar as possible to the one offered in the first generation, only with modern technology. Their efforts resulted in a really large opening of 80 centimetres wide and 92 centimetres long for the electrically operated fabric sunroof.

Renault only offers two drive configurations in the R4. The electric motor with 90 kW gets the 40 kWh battery, the version with 110 kW the larger storage unit with 52 kWh. Both motors do not require rare earth metals – an unusual step that only a few manufacturers have taken so far. A heat pump for more efficient heating in winter and targeted preconditioning of the battery, which reduces charging times in winter in particular, are always fitted as standard.

Two battery sizes, up to 400 km range

Some potential buyers are likely to be disappointed by the targeted charging capacities. The small battery can be charged with a maximum of 80 kW, the large one with 100 kW. Renault has also been quicker with AC charging in the past. In contrast to the Twingo (test), for example, the Renault 4 E-Tech Electric can charge up to 11 kW on alternating current. In many driving profiles, a 22 kW AC charger makes everyday life more convenient. So far, Renault has only roughly estimated the ranges in the WLTP. With the small battery, more than 300 km are possible in the cycle, with the large battery up to 400 km.

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Renault 4 E-Tech Electric Interieur (7 Bilder)

Renault wants to shine elsewhere. All versions are bidirectional. This means that the electricity in the battery can be used to supply external consumers. Anyone who gets involved with the Mobilize PowerBox Verso from "The Mobility House" can also become a participant in the electricity market with the R4. The basic idea is that the battery is charged when the price on the electricity exchange is low and discharged when it is high. This requires the conclusion of a Mobilize energy contract.

Renault largely gave up developing its own consumer electronics years ago and has been using Google Android Automotive ever since, supplemented by its own interface in some cases. In the R4, this is supplemented by three modules designed to make everyday life more convenient. These include the "My Safety Switch", already familiar from other Renault models, which allows drivers to activate their preferred settings for five safety and assistance systems at the touch of a button. This should also include the speed limit warning system, which has been mandatory since July and is annoying in many cars with false alerts.

With avatar and AI

The avatar "Reno", which the manufacturer praises as a "virtual travel companion", is also still quite new at Renault. It reacts to the driver's voice, but can also make suggestions itself. The instruction leaflet for the press states that it can, for example, activate the air conditioning if the windows start to mist up. If the conditions change, Reno can switch the driving mode. In the future, it will also work with ChatGPT to answer driver questions that are not automatically stored in the system.

Renault offers a sound system from Harman Kardon for an additional charge, with an amplifier output of 410  watts. There is a woofer and a tweeter in each door and an additional subwoofer in the trunk. Together with the amplifier, this takes up some space in the luggage compartment, which can be used for a charging cable in models without a sound system, for example. The Renault 4 E-Tech Electric does not have a compartment under the hood.

(fpi)