Nope, not good enough. The Renault Twizy may be one of the most memorable machines
in the world - but its manufacture wants it to stand out even more. That brings us to
Renault's 'Design a Twizy' competition. Here, students competed to see their exterior colour
concept brought to life on this battery powered plaything. The competition was won by
Rachel Smith, 20, from The University of Huddersfield for her 'Rainbow' design. And her
prize? How does £9,000 to cover twelve month's tuition fees sound? Pretty good, I suspect,
particularly as the cheque was presented to Miss Smith by Dame Ellen MacArthur - the
legendary yachtswoman.
The Renault Twizy is a two-seater electric run-around measuring 2.34 metres by 1.24 metres.
As such, it easily nips through traffic. It is powered by a 13KW (17HP) motor that can propel
electricity lovers to around fifty miles-per-hour.
Furthermore Renault claims this urban
workhorse has a range of about sixty miles, but as with all electric vehicles this can vary
according to the conditions. Racing uphill uses more juice than rolling downhill, for example.
The Renault Twizy costs £6,690, which is close to the price of some city cars. This is in
addition to the batteries, that can be leased from its manufacturer for £45 per-month based
on 4,500 miles per-year over three years. But Twizy lovers can increase the cost of this
already pricey run-around further. The scissor doors cost £545, metallic paint adds £195,
alloy wheels are £340, and the 50-litre 'leisure bag' will relive you of a further £95. At least
Twizy owners sidestep the cost of petrol/diesel, as it can be charged over three and a half
hours via a standard plug socket. That is the small pot of gold at the end of Rachel's rainbow.
By Stephen Turvil
Fri, 25 May 2012
Jon Smith Commented: