The Renault Twingo ZE is a tiny EV you can’t have

Renault canned the Twingo last year – the rest of Europe got a facelift, but slow sales and the expense of engineering a right-hand drive version meant us Brits got…nothing at all. So of course we won’t get this either – the new all-electric Twingo ZE, which will be revealed proper at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.

Related to the Smart ForTwo and ForFour, the Twingo ZE uses a 22kWh battery giving just over 100 miles of range. Its e-motor is mounted at the back, where the internal combustion engine is in the normal Twingo, and powers the rear wheels. Well we say ‘powers’ – you only get 80bhp and 118lb ft, giving a 0-62mph time of 12.6 seconds and a top speed of 84mph.

An 80 per cent charge takes a little over an hour, providing you’re using a 22kW fast charger, while a full charge from a 7kW domestic wallbox takes about four hours.

Truly an EV for the city, then, where the Twingo’s titchy dimensions and tight turning circle make it a perfect Uber-dodger. But then the Zoe, which is excellent, isn’t exactly massive, and has more than double the range. Europe – keep your Twingo, we’re fine as we are.