Is a Twizy a car? Is a Twizy a substitute for a car? Do I get a state subsidy? Questions upon questions! Here are answers upon answers.

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FAQ

I am always asked the same questions:

How fast is a Renault Twizy?

The Twizy 80 is electronically limited at 80 km/h (speedometer 85, GPS 83). The Twizy 45 stops at 45 km/h.

What is the range of a Renault Twizy?

The real range depends, among other things, on the environmental conditions and the route profile. However, a range of between 50 and 100 kilometres is feasible. The Twizy doesn’t like high speeds, and it doesn’t like going up gradients on full power – then consumption goes through the roof.

How much does a Renault Twizy cost?

The Twizy is available from about 13,000 Euros including battery. Used Twizy cars start at about 4,000 Euros.

Does a Renault Twizy have an electric motor?

The Twizy has a three-phase asynchronous electric motor.

Where can I charge a Renault Twizy?

At a normal household socket. On the road, charging is also possible using a type 2 adapter.

How many people can ride in the Renault Twizy?

The Twizy can carry two people in a row. In the Twizy Cargo only one, as it has a boot.

What is the minimum age for driving a Renault Twizy?

The Renault Twizy 45 can be driven from the age of 16 with an AM licence. For the Twizy 80, you need a class B driving licence.

Does the Renault Twizy have a heater?

No, the Twizy has no heating! Nor does it have air conditioning.

Twizy 80 fact sheet

Twiwhat?

Twizy stands for „Twin“ and „Easy“ = Twizy. The name stands for an easy-to-use vehicle for two people.

The Twizy does not want to imitate a conventional car, like the Citroën Ami or the Opel Rocks-E, for example, but to be a weather-protected and safe alternative to a motor scooter.

After all, the development time was five years (2007 to 2012). Owners of a Twizy, however, wonder what the Twizy team at Renault was up to during this time, because the Twizy doesn’t seem to be fully developed. It looks more like an unfinished prototype.

Design

When it comes to design, everyone immediately thinks of the first Smart ForTwo. And then the BMW C1. And you are absolutely right, because the developers took these two controversial, not to say „revolutionary“, vehicles as models, as Alain Giraud freely admitted in an interview.

If you look at the safety cell of the Smart, you immediately notice the similarities to the Twizy:

In addition to the general shape of the body, the seat and windscreen wiper of the BMW C1 immediately catch the eye of the Twizy owner.

Ultimately, however, the Twizy’s form follows its specifications, which are to be an urban vehicle for two people that also offers rudimentary safety. That it is still the safest vehicle in its class after more than ten years speaks for the genius and madness of the engineers at Renault.

A car for people

Christophe Ambroggi, product manager at Renault, commented on the development of the Twizy in a 2010 interview. It would not be an electric car for technology freaks, but for people. You can leave it at that for now, because what could be further away from the finesse of a Tesla than a Renault Twizy?

Aren’t driving assistants supposed to support people? So what is left for people after all the modern and usual assistants have been deducted?

But at this point I have to dig in myself! Did I just write about the omission of „assistants“? How best to explain it? Except for the drivetrain, pretty much everything about the Twizy is on par with a car from 1955. No ESP, no ABS and neither heating nor ventilation. You can’t roll down the windows either, because it has no windows at all. Let alone a sun visor. And actually no doors either. Doors, to be truthful, cost extra.

Autonomous? That makes sense!

Yes, yes, of course! You can’t fit all the technology for a modern autonomous vehicle into such a small vehicle! The Ingolstadt Technical University (THI) didn’t know that and simply built the ANTON. An autonomous driving Twizy!

The only thing that surprises me is that you can accelerate via the CAN bus, that’s clear. But how the steering (no power steering!) and braking (no brake booster, no ABS/ESP) were realized is a bit puzzling to me. The hardware was intervened in a more complex way than communicated.

Visually, the Twizy has also suffered somewhat. It looks like a cargo car with an overweight, an LED bar and a beer bottle on the roof. But ANTON is allowed to drive autonomously on public roads, so we forgive its appearance.

Not bad for an autonomous vehicle that is an open platform. What exactly is meant by „open platform“ here, I can’t say.„An open platform is a shared software platform that makes it easier for institutions to collaborate and develop technologies for autonomous vehicles.“ – But I dare to doubt whether this is also open source.

Seat comfort driver

Enter

What two-seater car with a rear engine and scissor doors is easy to get into? The Twizy is no exception. Like in a super sports car, the seat is very far from the entrance sill. Push your left leg in, pull your arms and head in and then simply drop into the seat – depending on your height – is the most elegant way.

Legroom

All quite normal, so far. If it weren’t for the width. Wait a minute. Did I just write „width“? It’s limited by wheel arches on the left and(!) right. Wait … doesn’t the Twizy have free-standing wheels? So the wheel suspensions are next to the driver’s feet. And in front of that is the tiny 14 Ah „big“ 12 volt battery, the so-called „lead anchor“. We are not thinking about accidents now, but about the fact that Renault’s Formula 1 engineers were responsible for the passenger cell. That’s reassuring.

We pull the scissor doors into the lock and can now rest both elbows on the doors. Both at once! We try and it only makes us look like we’re trying to imitate a chicken, because the elbows fall into nothing. Did I not mention the interior width? Okay, the interior width is …. b r e i t.

Seating comfort

We are looking for the optimal seating position:

• Seat forward and back … fits! Check!
• Seat height adjustment … ah, okay, that’s probably universally suitable.
• Adjusting the seat back … okay, also universal.
• The same goes for the steering wheel, who would have thought?

Renault has obviously carried out factory espionage here, as the comparison with a kettle car comes to mind. It offers exactly the same adjustment options for the seat and the steering wheel.

We grope blindly behind us on the left for the seat belt and buckle up. What? We should put on something else? The second seat belt?
Oh, there it is! Integrated in the seat on the right hand side!
A belt extending from top to bottom without a lock.
Aha.

We push our right shoulder through it and feel like a racing driver.
A harness belt … no … a four-point belt … not even … a five-point harness! Yes, that’s it.
In a way, anyway.

All round view

When I was a kid, I had a Lotus Europa as a matchbox car. I thought the glass doors at the bottom were dead smart!
Here I see them for the first time in a real car!
I’ll say it now: a pure gimmick. Nobody needs them.

The windscreen is amazingly far away at the bottom and amazingly close at the top.
You wonder how you can get the sun visor between the edge of the roof and your head … and you immediately realise that the Twizy doesn’t have a sun visor either.

The all-round view, on the other hand, is excellent. The B-pillar is missing – and the C-pillar (or is that the B-pillar after all?) is a long way away.
The view to the rear, on the other hand, is … simply non-existent.
No rear window, no interior mirror, no view backwards.

Scaredy-cats have hooked the reversing sensors at this point.
Men drive by ear.
The clatter of overturning shopping trolleys and the screech of pensioners is enough assistance for us.

Climate comfort

We don’t need air conditioning or an outside thermometer, because a Twizy never leaves you in the dark about the climate outside the vehicle.
Outside temperature = inside temperature, done.

If the windscreen fogs up, you take a dry cloth and ensure a clear view. If the cloth was in the vehicle, it is damp. Simple rule.
Congratulations to the wimp who knowingly blew 150 euros on the house table for the windscreen heater.

Condolences to the whole guy who is allowed to scratch the windscreen from the inside while driving in winter.
But what’s the point? What was good enough for the grandpa in the Beetle is good enough.

Cockpit

In the cockpit, a display with horizontal bars catches the eye. Three of them. These show the current fuel consumption. But even when you try to start the car, only two bars are active. This is simply because the electronics do not release more torque and thus prevent the cavalier start. If you only manage to activate a maximum of two bars at a time, ranges of around 100 km are possible. With only one bar, you become an obstacle to traffic, but you also get over the 100 km limit.

If the vehicle is freshly charged, the average maximum range of the last 150 km is calculated and displayed. Three kilometres after the start of the journey, the display is updated and subsequently always shows the range that one would have if one continued to drive as one did for the last three kilometres in each case.

Then you can use the button on the windscreen wiper lever to show the usual kilometre data in the display, but also an „econometer“. The more squares you collect there, the more economical you drive. This is simply updated like the remaining range.

Carporn

Passenger seating comfort

Entry

But we were with the people. Two in number fit into the Twizy. Strangely, taller people find it easier to reach the pillion seat than children. That’s because you have to thread your left leg over the centre tunnel that houses the battery. Sure, it could also be the right leg if you got in on the left side of the vehicle. Only then you would have to wriggle under the driver’s seatbelt. The lunge of a tango would be joined by the supine position of a limbo. There are more dignified ways to board a vehicle and this one would only be entertaining for outsiders.

Legroom

Once you have taken a seat in the back and managed to fasten your seat belt – after only a few minutes – you have more than princely legroom. Very comfortable! At least if you can live with the fact that the driver is between your knees. But in what other car can you stretch your legs out completely? There you go!

Seat comfort

Depending on your physique, you can’t complain about the lateral support, which doesn’t come from the „seat cushions“ that make even a racing bike saddle look like a sofa, but from the limited width of the passenger cavity. The cushions are filled with memory foam. That’s what you call it when you never forget how hard you sat on it, right?

The seat itself is very, very short.

All-round view

Without the optional roof window, the view from the rear is primarily of the driver’s integral seat, whose headrest is about a hand’s width in front of your nose. If you are travelling in a foreign country, you can now ask the driver to describe the landscape. But you shouldn’t have a heavy electric foot, because the whine of the gearbox comes to the fore from about 50 km/h onwards.

Climate comfort

The airstream, which miraculously spares the driver, blows into the passenger’s every orifice above the navel. Don’t worry, the passenger’s whining becomes less and less as the outside temperature drops and the Vmax increases, because he is then primarily occupied with shivering.

Sustainability

It is becoming increasingly clear to us in Europe that we cannot maintain our CO₂ emissions at this level. Sustainability has been demanded for decades, but these calls went unheard in the ever-ageing society. The boomer generation had become too accustomed to a certain comfort and standard of living that was denied to the following but lower-birth-rate cohorts. But politics is made for voters whose largest group is the over-50s. Since the 1970s, the number of over-67s has doubled and the number of under-20s has halved.(Source)

No one wanted to do without for environmental reasons. Now we are paying the bill for this ignorance. The energy turnaround, Europe’s self-sufficiency in energy and the reduction of CO₂ emissions are now forced upon us. It comes late and is therefore associated with restrictions. And it will be expensive. The generation of boomers, above all Friedrich Merz, knows no answer to this and reacts with subsidies (tax cuts).(Source – Caution! Huge, non-reducible font for old people!)

Just as the Audi A2 was ahead of its time, appealed only to fuel-savers and thus became a slow seller, the Twizy struggles to make it to the bottom of the registration statistics in the first ten years after its introduction. At the latest after Putin invaded Ukraine and fuel and energy prices went through the roof, the price of used Twizy cars also rose enormously.

The starting procedure

Put the key in the lock and immediately turn it all the way forward. After two seconds, a beep confirms that the Twizy is ready to go.

Renault is convinced that you should first turn the key to ignition, wait until it beeps and then turn the key the next notch forward.

Yes, you can do that, because you still have to release the handbrake anyway.
It’s on the left under the dashboard.
We reach for it with our right hand and notice that the release button is on the left side of the lever.
Do French people have two right thumbs, or what?
How are you supposed to release the brake with one hand?

It doesn’t matter, because we can’t get it unlocked.
Because we forgot to step on the foot brake.
You can’t release the handbrake without the ignition and stepping on the brake. Anti-theft protection. Or Schbernack protection.

Either way, we assume we could release the brake.
We step on the gas all the way to the floor pan!
Wow!
We stand like a stone.

Right! There are two buttons on the dashboard: D and R.
We put the car in neutral by pressing both buttons at once.
But neutral is automatically in when we start anyway. That’s fine.

Press „D“, like „thunder“!
It beeps again!
We step on the stomp pedal and start rolling.

Ride comfort

Road holding

Actually, the 57 Nm should be available immediately. But the electronics don’t allow that.
The rear wheels of a Twizy are quickly driven off anyway, so there’s no need to paint black stripes at every traffic light.

In another interview, Christophe Ambroggi stated that Renault had also done test drives with 70 Nm, but that this would simply have been too much.
All performance parameters of the Twizy are limited by software: Power, torque and top speed.

At the beginning, I wanted to know too and gave it full throttle at about 20 km/h on a wet intersection. I could have saved myself the trouble of letting the steering wheel twitch towards the middle of the bend.
I made a U-turn and came to a stop on the traffic island.

Later, the rear end of the car swerved a few more times in bad weather, but I was able to compensate for this excellently each time.

On dry roads, the Twizy is neutral to understeering. Due to the open design, the tyres let you know early on that we are going faster than we should be.
But not by whining or even squealing, but by the smell of burnt rubber.

As already mentioned: tyres on a Twizy don’t tend to get old, they just wear out.

Suspension

The Twizy eats tyres? That can only mean that you’re always going too fast through corners.
That in turn means that the box is hard as a board.
Matter of opinion. I don’t find it too hard.
But I feel as if I’m in a Golf GTI, as if I’m in a duck swaying around the bends.

Steering

Yes, available. And very direct. Without assistance, of course. But you can distinguish every type of asphalt and temperature with it.

Driving performance

„It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.“ – this is especially true for the Twizy. In today’s times, you’d leave any combustion engine at the traffic lights with the Twizy. With the price of fuel, no one will step on the gas anymore. Seriously, it’s annoying. On country roads, the „missing“ 20 km/h don’t really bother, because here, too, the rule is: very few people still drive that fast. Motorways and motorways are also okay, because officially you are as fast as a truck.

However, I have experienced several times that a Twizy absolutely has to be overtaken, even if you are in its way in the bends afterwards. You see this behaviour from Audi and last-hand BMW drivers. It’s probably due to erectile dysfunction. :-) The Twizy driver is above that, because in the next town you’ll be behind these cars again at the traffic lights. Who would then at least accelerate when the light turns green …

Vehicle classes

LEV (Light Electric Vehicle)

L7e (Twizy 80)
L6e (Twizy 45)

L7e: maximum 15 kW power
L6e: maximum 4 kW power

Costs

A Twizy is not a cheap pleasure – especially for the performance it offers! You have to want to afford a Twizy. This is mainly due to the purchase and workshop costs. The brakes in particular are maintenance-intensive and absurdly expensive – if they are available at all.

Due to the e-car premiums that are not offered for light electric vehicles, e-cars like Smart EQ ForTwo or Dacia Spring Electric are just as expensive as a Twizy.
Well.
What did I just say? Oh, right:„You have to want to afford a Twizy.“ ;-)

Prices

There are only a few euros between the Life and Intens equipment lines. No wonder, the differences are now marginal and (almost) purely optical.
A heated windscreen and doors are compulsory equipment anyway, you simply can’t do without them.
So in the end, the bill is always well over 13,000 euros.
But the battery is now included in the price of the vehicle, because there are no more rental batteries.

Government subsidies

As a light electric vehicle, the Twizy does not receive any substantial or government subsidies.

GHG quota

Since the beginning of 2022, it has been possible to register the Twizy 80 for CO₂ trading. The CO₂ saved is sold to the oil industry so that they can emit more emissions. You don’t have to have a guilty conscience, because the state would sell the CO₂ certificates anyway and the profit would go into the state budget.

Anyone who pays 14,000 euros for a Twizy, which is more than someone who buys a small electric car, wonders what is actually going wrong in our country.

When you see SUVs with electric licence plates and smoking exhaust pipes that park at the charging stations out of convenience in order to „charge“ the already full battery, then you’ll be shocked anyway.

I have described here exactly how to apply for the bonus and where to get the most money for your certificates. It takes about five minutes and you can earn up to EUR 475. Not a bad hourly wage, is it?

Insurance

A liability insurance for the Twizy 80 costs around 50 EUR per year. However, some insurance companies don’t have the Twizy in their databases even after ten years of construction, classify it as a quad and you fall off your chair when you find out the insurance premiums.
So always call the insurance company and talk to the people, then the premiums will be reduced to the 50 EUR mentioned.

You only need an insurance number plate for the Twizy 45. That sounds great at first, but you might want to think about voluntary registration, because it allows novice drivers to accumulate no-claims bonuses for their car insurance very early and very cheaply. On top of that, there is also the possibility of using the above-mentioned annual GHG quota of 300 to 475 EUR for the Twizy 45!

Vehicle tax

An electric car runs tax-free for ten years, as does the Twizy. After that, you pay an annual tax of 23 euros. The Twizy 45 is generally tax-free.

Battery rental

Until 2021, you could/had to rent the battery from Renault Bank.
If you drove 9,000 km per year, you paid 50 euros per month.
In addition, however, there was the insurance premium for a contractually required comprehensive insurance, which can be exorbitantly high in some cases.

I have written about battery rental contractshere.

Buying a battery

You can now buy a battery online at a reasonable price. No more running to the dealer, no more reading out the battery data! The whole procedure with the links to the online application can be found here. For my battery with 95 % SoH I paid one Euro plus VAT. The bottom line is that I only paid 1.19 euros to Renault.

Models

Twizy 45

L6e
Driving licence class AM, from 16 years

Twizy 80

L7e
Driving licence class B

Twizy Cargo

From June 2013 to July 2019, the Twizy was offered as a single-seater with a 156-litre boot.

Here is a picture of a Twizy Cargo 45

Technical data

Dimensions

• Length: 238 cm
• Width: 119 cm
• Width with exterior mirrors: 140 cm
• Height: 146 cm
• Height with open doors 198 cm
• Wheelbase: 168 cm
• Track width v/h: Track width front 109 /108 cm
• Turning circle: 3.4 m
• Parking space requirement: 2.61 sqm

Please? Yes, that’s right, well spotted! The Twizy fits between the bollards that prevent normal vehicles from passing. The distance between them is 120 centimetres. In fact, the passage is much more comfortable than the scant centimetre that the Twizy is narrower would suggest.

But we know:„The road areas marked with the red and white barrier posts in accordance with Annex 4 to Section 43 (3) may not be driven through.“

Weight

• Empty weight without battery: 389 kg
• Empty weight with battery: 487 kg
• Empty weight ready to drive with driver: 562 kg
• Permissible total weight: 690 kg

„Boot“ Twizy

• 31 litres

Boot Twizy Cargo

• 156 litres
• 55 × 49 × 95 cm

Interior width

• Steering wheel: 100 cm
• Driver’s seat, middle position: 90 cm
• Door end: 80 cm

Interior height

• From hip joint to roof front: 91 cm
• From hip joint to roof rear: 84 cm
  

Air resistance

• _cw-value 0.64
• Frontal area: 1.436 m²
• Drag coefficient fw: 0.446

Sources: Wikipedia, Twizy forum, the brochure referred to is not available

Key data battery

The battery pack contains the BMS.
Renault part number is 295107900R ( battery 1Z17)

• Type: Lithium-ion battery
• Voltage: 48 V
• Total capacity: 7 kWh
• usable capacity: 6.1 kWh
• End-of-charge voltage: 58.8V

Cells

• Manufacturer: LG Chem
• Number of cells: 42
• Arrangement: 14s/3p
• Individual capacity: 40 Ah
• Individual cell voltage: 3.6 V
• End-of-charge voltage: 4.2 V

Dimensions

• Weight: 98 kg

Replacement battery

I have a current contract dated 13 October 2021, in which there is a limit for battery replacement of 75% residual capacity. After ten years (i.e. in my case in 10/2022): 60 % remaining capacity.
If the battery capacity falls below this value, I will receive a replacement battery free of charge.

Alternative battery

Until a battery has only 60 percent remaining range, several years pass, during which you have to pay 600 euros a year to Renault. This is financially insane, because in the meantime there is a project that is working on the construction of an alternative battery that promises a significant increase in range at low cost.

Charging a vehicle

The first charge controllers are probably hardly in use today because they tended to overheat.

Until 2013: 2,300 watts

Charging time

• 0 to 100 percent: 3:00 hours
• 0 to 90 percent: 2:45 hours
• 0 to 80 percent: 2:30 hours

From 2013: 2,000 watts

Charging time

• 0 to 100 percent: 3:30 hours
• 0 to 90 percent: 3:00 hours
• 0 to 80 percent: 2:40 hours

12 Volt system

Even an electric vehicle will no longer start if the 12 volt system no longer receives voltage due to an empty „car battery“ – even if the drive battery is full.

12 volt battery

AGM battery, 12 V, 14 Ah, 80 A, Renault part number: 24410-3090R, for example Exide EK143
Replacement interval: 5 years

DC-DC converter

The DC-DC converter charges the 12 V battery from the traction battery while driving. It has a maximum output of 300 watts and supplies the vehicle’s 12-volt system.

Charging

The old chargers do not charge the 12-volt battery when the Twizy is stationary and being charged. The new ones charge it while parked, at least until the main battery reaches about 20% charge capacity. While driving, the 12-volt battery is generally charged from the main battery.

Warning

Never leave the ignition switched on while charging! The 12 volt lead battery can be overcharged and damaged!
A defective lead-acid battery can inflate due to the resulting gas pressure („puffer fish“). In this case, it is very difficult to remove it from the vehicle! The battery is under enormous pressure! Never drill into or cut open the battery! Risk of injury!

Performance and consumption

One litre of premium petrol contains the energy quantity of 8.9 kWh. The Twizy consumes 6.3 kWh per 100 km (e-fleet in Germany on average: 19 kWh per 100 km). In terms of energy, the consumption is equivalent to 0.7 litres of Super per 100 km . At a price of 33 cents for a kilowatt hour of electricity, 100 km in the Twizy cost 2 euros, so in monetary terms the consumption corresponds to 05/2022(2.05 cents/litre) approx. 1 litre per 100 km.

In reality, I calculated the overland consumption over a distance of 900 km: 8.9 kWh for me.

Safety

Crash test

Two out of five stars, 13 points, 39 %.
Which is not really surprising when even a longer-lasting seatbelt beeper promises more points. Of course, the Twizy doesn’t have such pointless gimmicks.
Here are the results in detail.

The vehicle class in comparison

However, the Twizy is by far the safest vehicle in this class. But since the vehicle structure is extremely hard, there is no outwardly(!) squashed Twizypilot standing in the way of an open coffin farewell.
But what would be the alternative? A scooter? A quad bike? That these are not safer, cannot be safer, is quite clear.

Rescue card

You can print out the rescue card and put it in your car. However, I wonder if the gas pressure dampers should not be marked here? I have done this once. But if Renault doesn’t mark them, they will probably be outside the fire brigade’s cutting zones, won’t they?

Equipment

2012 until 2019

• Urban
• Colour
• Technic

2014 – 2019

• Sport Edition in White
• Sport Edition in Black

The Sport Edition was only available in the 80 km/h version.

From 2020

• Life
• Intens Black & Intense White

The Intens versions differ simply in the basic colour, which is also used on the handbag lids.

Safety

• Driver airbag
• 3+2-point front seat belt
• 3-point safety belt in the rear
• 4 linked (sic!) disc brakes all round
• Steering wheel column, lockable
• Sound simulator
  

„Coupled disc brakes“ is a euphemism and only means that the Twizy has a single-circuit braking system. Since 1971, this has actually not been permitted for passenger cars for safety reasons. But apparently it is for small electric vehicles.

Comfort

• Blue tinted windscreen
• Windscreen heating (optional)

Urgent order!

• Windscreen heating
• Doors

If you don’t want to scrape ice from the inside in winter or constantly clean your car, you should definitely order the windscreen heating for safety reasons!
If you want to sell your Twizy again, you should order doors. Twizy without doors are almost unsellable because you constantly run the risk of your shopping falling out.
You can remove the doors, but to turn a Twizy without doors into one with doors takes a whole bunch of new trim pieces, a lot of skill and even more time.

Not available

Equipment that never was and never will be. Just for the information of „normal“ car drivers.

Safety

• ABS
  
• ESP
  
• ASR
  
• Brake assist
  
• Passenger airbag
  
• Side airbags
  
• Knee airbags
  
• Power steering
  
• Brake booster
  
• Dual circuit brake system
  

Comfort

• Windows
  
• Heating
  
• Air conditioning
  
• Interior lighting
  
• Interior mirror
  
• Heated rear window
  
• Seat height adjustment
  
• Adjustable head restraints
  
• Adjustable seat backrest
  
• Seat heating
  
• Steering wheel adjustable
  
• Steering wheel heating
  
• Exterior mirror adjustment
  
• Outside mirror heating

Colour combinations until 2019

Colour combinations from 2020

Amendment 2016/2017

According to the European Regulation (EU) No. 168/2013, in addition to other changes in the definition of the vehicle class, the vehicle electronics must be protected against manipulation.

The new control units were installed from October 2016, other sources speak of March 2017. Be that as it may: since then, it is no longer possible to modify the governor, the power and the torque, unless you replace the control unit with one from the years before.

These vehicles can be recognised by the orange charging cable (previously it was blue). Or by reading out the control unit using an ODBII adapter and a suitable app on your smartphone.

Changes in 2020

After the temporary suspension of production due to the transfer of production from Spain to South Korea, the equipment lines were scaled down.
The vehicle became less colourful as the colour palette was reduced to four colours:

• Black
• White
• Blue
• Red

The interior changed to a coal cellar, which pleases the German motorist who never configures a car for himself, but always for resale.
The seat shells and upholstery have since been available only in black.
The dashboard
Tristesse allemande!

Of the equipment lines, only the entry-level model Life (previously Urban) and Intens (previously Technic) remain.

Original accessories

Renault did not put any obstacles in the way of those who wanted to increase the purchase price. The following accessories were, or are, available for purchase:

The accessories may not have been available in every country and/or at the prices stated.

Control units (SERV)

All control units belong to Gen 4.

2011/2012

„11 November 2011“
Mainpulation-ready.

2012/2013

„05 December 2012“
Manipulable.

As of 10/2016

„Thu Jun 30 18:21:36“
read-only

Engine

Iskra AMV 7118
3 phase AC motor, 20V, 12 kW
DC-Vehicle Voltage: 52 Volt
S2=1min (Short-time operation at constantr loadstion)
Order no. 11.217.101-290 101 805R-A

Usual defects

Rust

The frame of the Twizy tends to get rusty. Not dramatic, but unattractive, and many a TÜV inspector is said to have simply been looking for an excuse to register a defect on an older vehicle.

Brakes

A chapter that is as sinister as it is expensive.
The prices for rear brake discs are constantly rising and some people have already bought some in stock because replacements have been slow to become available for years. You have to pay upwards of 200 euros for a single brake disc. At the Renault dealer, it can be as much as 350 to 400 euros.
Why? Because these brake discs are only available from Renault themselves and they also have the entire steering knuckle firmly attached to the disc.

The front brakes are much cheaper, around 50 euros each in the after-sales market. The brake calipers, however, are a bad design that tends to seize up. You can get replacements from the ATV sector. However, there are a few things to consider!

Charge controller

Not only the first generation of charge controllers tended to overheat. With a little skill and rudimentary soldering knowledge, however, you can repair it yourself.

Gearbox-motor toothing and gearbox bearing

The toothed shaft between the motor and the gearbox has no support, no bearing, so that the shaft tends to tilt and wears out early. There are now privately initiated, inexpensive replacements for the bearing and shaft. Starting clacks and ghost train noises during load changes are now a thing of the past.

Broken lugs of the front mask

The front mask is only clipped. You have to remove it to change the bulbs of the main headlights and to check the brake fluid level (the first series did not have a „sensor“ in the lid of the reservoir).

If you do this a few times in rather cold weather, the lugs break off. But they can be repaired.

Broken door handles

Another common defect is a broken door handle. Durable replacements, however, can be printed out easily and quickly.

Passenger draught

The passenger gets a lot of wind. The solution is so simple: triangular rear windows! I cut mine out of 6mm thick Plexiglas and attached them with velcro tape with a mushroom head for outdoor use. Result: almost draught-free riding for the pillion passenger. A template is available for registered users here.

Seats

The waterproof seats do not stand up well to years of use. They become cracked. However, you can easily cover them with imitation leather yourself. Furthermore, the lower seat shell often breaks in the backrest area, but this is harmless.

Carbon film dissolves

The carbon film on the roof dissolves due to sunlight and thus creates brown spots on the roof. In good, hot weather, you can simply peel off this film. A shiny roof made of solid plastic is revealed.

Cracks in the roof

The cracks in the roof are unfortunately also normal, but also uncritical as long as it does not rain into it.

Modifications

Smart vehicle

With the OVMS (Open Vehicle Management System) you can make the Twizy as smart as the vehicle allows. Of course, the Twizy lacks a heating system, so you can’t control it. It also lacks a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which cannot be conjured up.

But the OVMS can retrofit some functions in the Twizy that today’s vehicles also have. A WLAN and/or mobile phone connection (4G) is used for this purpose. Note: The GPS and mobile radio modules are optional.

Monitor charging

• Display battery status accurately
• Reduce charging power
• Logging of the total amount of energy drawn
• Display of estimated charging time
• Logging of charge and discharge curves
• SOC, State of Charge display
• End of charge alarm via mobile phone network
• Notification of end of charge (or sufficient charge for continued journey) via mobile phone network
• Monitoring of the 12V battery

Range calculation

• Reading the display of the Twizy
• Manual input of an estimated range
• Extrapolation of these estimates during the charging process

Monitoring the battery

• Logging of cell voltages and temperatures
• Alarm in case of abnormalities such as excessive deviation of individual cells and excessive total drift
• Determination of the SOH(State of Health)

Energy consumption monitoring

• Recording of driving conditions (accelerator pedal position, recuperation)
• Recording of an altitude profile of the driving routes
• Energy consumption display inWh/km)
• Display of energy recovery through recuperation at the end of the journey
• Display of the route energy consumption

GPS tracking

• continuous recording of the position
• Theft tracking even when the vehicle is switched off
• Track logging on (own) server optionally (every 5 or 60 seconds)

Chip tuning

Here you can make the following settings or changes (also low level!):

• Maximum speed
• Speed warning limit
• Motor current
• Motor power
• Torque
• Torque ramps
• Torque smoothing
• Speed-dependent recuperation
• Brake light activation during recuperation
• Kickdown function

It is possible to change these parameters even while driving! The OVMS also allows access to the BMS (Battery Management System).
Caution! A lot of dangerous mischief can be done here, for which you can be held fully liable!

Further information can be found at Dexter.

Tuning

Until mid-2016 (ECU revisions up to December 2012), simple tuning was possible. However, it is only legal to purchase the tuning box from Elia, which is supplied with an ABE.
If the driving performance is unlocked by means of OVMS, this is technically the same modification, but highly illegal! Loss of insurance cover is imminent.

Using the Elia tuning box, the speed increases to 90 km/h and the torque to 70 nM.
Using OVMS, increases of up to 111 km/h and 75 Nm are possible without any problems.
Using PowerBox BT, increases to over 100 km/h and 100 Nm are possible.

The OVMS is much more flexible and offers many more functions. It would be possible to adjust the profiles to exceed the values of the PowerBox BT.
Moreover, the OVMS costs less than half the price of the PowerBox – even with GPS and LTE module.

WARNING
If you go beyond the limits of what is technically sensible, theoretical(!) values of up to 33 kW and 139 Nm are possible. However, the DC synchronous motor has long since reached magnetic saturation.
It should be clear that this puts a strain on the drive train, the BMS and the battery of the Twizy far beyond the manufacturer’s intended limits.
The insurance cover and the operating licence are also lost.

Upgrading 45 to 80 km/h

Theoretically, a Twizy 45 could be upgraded to 80 km/h by means of a control unit. However, since a weaker (4 kg lighter) engine has been installed, a „tuned“ Twizy 45 will never reach the performance of a Twizy 80.

Poor Mans Tuning

You can also „tune“ the Twizy (up to year of manufacture 10/2016) from 80 km/h to 95 km/h with one click in the app„Tune the T„. You don’t get more power, but the unlocking speed is simply increased to 95 km/h. This way, at least you don’t stop on the motorway. So at least you don’t hold up any trucks on the motorway. The only requirement is this ODB-II dongle.

Removing the stabilisers

The stabilisers are supposed to make the already hard chassis even harder. Removing the front and rear stabilisers completely does not make the Twizy a sedan, but it is said to make a difference. I don’t find the Twizy too hard, I actually like it that way, and I don’t want to give up an (albeit rather theoretical) safety reserve at the limit.

LED headlights

As a „quad“, the Twizy has symmetrical light installed in the form of two motorbike headlights from Hella.

It is therefore possible to install motorbike LED headlights with 5.75″, as long as they have an E-approval mark AND an ECE R112 designation.
The Chinese in particular stamp a simple„SAE/E9“ on their headlights, at the sight of which the TÜV inspector develops a desire to shut them down.

The number after the E stands for the EU country in which the headlamp was approved. E9 would mean Spain, E1 Germany – but then the ECE number is still missing.

A headlamp like this has to have a bit more than just „SAE/Ex“ on it.

Necessary marking

In our case, the ECE marking should include the following:

• „A“ position light
• „CR“ or „C/R“ low beam and high beam („C/R“ = only individually switchable)

and preferably also:

• „RL“ daytime running light

In addition, a reference number is mandatory, „Ref. Value“, the value of which must be ≦ 100 for both (main-beam) headlamps together. This reference value indicates the brightness of the headlights.

• „10“ (generic number for R and CR)

The installation location is indicated by arrows pointing to the outer sides:

• „->“ headlamp left
• „<-“ headlamp right
• „<->“ can be used on both sides (symmetrical light)

An ECE test number must also be stamped:

• „12345“

Registration?

If all this is available, you should simply replace the original headlights with ones for a motorbike (5.75″). Registration should not be necessary, as the LED headlights have been approved as a replacement for halogen headlights.

Further information

More information about the marking and what it looks like can be found here (on page 111).

Examples for the type marking of headlamps:

• „A“ Position light
• „B“ Fog lamp
• „C“ Low beam (HC Halogen and DC Xenon)
• „R“ High beam(HR Halogen and DR Xenon)
• „CR“ High beam and low beam HCR Halogen high beam and low beam DCR is not possible
• „C/R“ high or low beam(HC/R halogen and DC/R xenon)
• „RL“ daytime running light

The indication „00“ for LEDs only has to be given if the bulbs would be replaceable. This rarely (never) occurs with accessory headlamps.

• „00“

Accessories

Dashcam

The Twizy has no rear window, so you need a rear view camera. Why not go for a waterproof dual motorbike camera?

Wear parts

Brakes

Front

• Brake disc: 402064549R
• Brake pads: 37933
• Brake caliper right: 410019559R
• Left brake calliper: 410119463R
• Alternative brake caliper set Good quality at a fraction of the price, but the bleed nipples are at the bottom so you have to bleed the calipers when they are unscrewed.
• Bremssattel-Rep-Satz: 440010954R

Rear

• Left brake disc: 432062809R
• Brake disc right: 432067161R
• Brake pads: 37947
• Brake calliper right: 440018259R
• Brake caliper left: 440115917R
• Bremssattel-Rep-Satz: 440010954R

Lighting

• Low beam with high beam: H4
• Parking light and number plate: W5W
• Tail light with stop light: P21/5W
• Reversing light and indicator: P21W

12 Volt battery

AGM battery, 12 V, 14 Ah, 80 A, Renault part number: 24410-3090R

• for example Exide EK143

Windscreen wiper

The Twizy has only one windscreen wiper.

• Standard: 500 mm
• Optimal: 530 mm

Tyres

The standard tyres are quite expensive. It may be worthwhile to have the TÜV register other tyres on the rims.

Front

• 125/80 R13 65M
• 135/70 R13 70M (individual approval at TÜV according to §21 / §19(2))
• 135/80 R13 70 M (individual approval by TÜV according to §21 / §19(2))
• 145/70 R13 75M (individual approval by TÜV according to §21 / §19(2))

The 65 of the standard tyres should be sufficient for the load capacity. A higher load capacity does not hurt, but the tyre sidewall will be harder (comfort suffers). The speed index can be higher than M (130 km/h). Most are available with index T, i.e. up to 190 km/h.

Rear

• 145/80 R13 75M
• 155/70 R13 75M (individual approval by TÜV according to §21 / §19(2))
• 165/70 R13 75M (individual approval by TÜV according to §21 / §19(2))

The speed index can be higher than M (130 km/h). Most are available with index T, i.e. up to 190 km/h.

Tip

Tips for the individual inspection at the TÜV: Speedometer signal is calculated by the engine speed (rear-wheel drive, 1-speed gearbox), mudguards spring along with the tyres. The rims are the same front and rear: 4J13 CH3, offset 23.5, three holes

WARNING: There is a reason Renault fitted 125 tyres at the front and not 145 tyres. The Twizy will not understeer much with 145s on either axle. The limit range becomes much(!) narrower and the vehicle will suddenly and without warning break away with the rear in dangerous situations in combination with the short wheelbase. Most drivers (yes, I’m talking about you!) are hopelessly overwhelmed by this. The even more direct handling gives the impression of safety that does not exist.

More recommendable are the combinations (vo/hi): 135 / 155 and 145 / 165. But beware: even their drivers reported several unstoppable spins without warning!

Which brand?

Do yourself a favour: Buy only branded goods. Stay away from Nangkang and similar manufacturers. Yes, Nangkang has good semi-slicks, but for the road the manufacturer only supplies tyres that come in last in the tests. Don’t put too much stock in test reports either, because they are driven with cars that can’t even begin to compare with a Twizy. Personally, I prefer Khumo, Dunlop and Maxxis on microcars. They strike the right balance between sport, comfort, grip in the wet and price. Remember: the tyres are your car’s only contact with the road! If they fail, it’s all over!

Didn’t I tell you not to put much stock in tests? Therefore, here are the results from the ADAC. To what extent you can compare at least 175s (mostly 205s) with 145s (or even 125s) of the same type is questionable. Nevertheless I did it. :-)
I chose the ADAC tests for the reason that these individual tests are at least comparable with each other.

I chose the brand manufacturers that offer 145/70 and 165/70 tyres of the same series.

If you want to drive on the original width, you currently only have Continental in 125/80 R13. No wonder the Twizy tends to understeer, especially in the wet.

For me, the first thing that counts on the Twizy, for obvious reasons, is „aquaplaning across“, then fuel consumption. The rest fits on a 500 kg vehicle.

The prices are from Ebay, simply because that is the largest platform with the widest selection of tyres.

I will deliver winter tyres in autumn. Creating such a table with links is a lot of work.

Rims

For the Twizy there are only the standard steel and alloy rims (order number: 820125455x). 4J13, 3×100, offset 23.5.

However, Elia offers an adapter set/distance washers: 25mm from 3/100 to 4/100, item no.: 0170011
With this you can mount standard rims. You can build your own wheel covers on trailer wheel rims or buy the ones from Elia.

Spare parts

Spare parts and their part numbers can be found in the exploded views here: *click*

Many parts are from the Renault shelf and partly from the 1980s, such as wheel bearings, suspension joints and the like.

Headlights and indicators are from Hella and can be had for a fun price.

Examples of original spare parts on which Renault does not add an 800% margin:

Headlights

Hella 1A3 996 162-071 (132 mm diameter)

Maintenance

A Twizy, like any electric vehicle, requires hardly any maintenance. So all you have to worry about is the air pressure and the wiper water. Actually.

Air pressure

• Tyre pressure front: 2.4 bar
• Rear tyre pressure: 2.0 bar

Brakes

The brakes have to be inspected every six months when the tyres are changed, i.e. they have to be dismantled, cleaned and the guide pins re-lubricated, otherwise they won’t last long. And they are really expensive to replace. If you go to Renault and have the brakes (without calipers!) completely redone, you’re looking at 1,000 euros. That’s steep.
But that also explains why all-weather tyres don’t save any time, because the tyres have to be removed for cleaning.

The Twizy driver should therefore be able to do the work himself or know someone who can fit aftermarket parts for him at a reasonable price.

No joke: with the Twizy, you’re better off at a motorbike dealer, because they know their way around quads. Most Renault garages have no idea about this newfangled stuff, as you can read in various forums.

12-volt battery

The 12-volt battery should be checked regularly. Voltage checks and visual inspections are important before the battery swells and becomes difficult to remove from its compartment.

Torques

Some of the necessary torques can be found *here*.

Nissan Twizy

Nissan offers the Twizy as NNMC (Nissan New Mobility Concept). Externally, some minor visual changes have been made, otherwise the vehicle is identical.

The NNMC was first introduced in Japan in 2013 as a car-sharing vehicle and is used in selected cities such as Yokohama and Kyoto.

However, the vehicle is not intended for sale to private customers. It is only used by selected car sharing companies in Japan.

The electric car even has its own parking garage built that automatically charges the NNMC. Okay, the parking garage is intended for very small e-cars, but it is almost exclusively filled with Twizys / NNMC. Here it is noticeable that these car-sharing vehicles all have Plexiglas side windows.