Renault is playing big with the revival of its R5. Offered only in a 100% electric version, it aims to replace the Zoe while making the electric car more accessible. It will thus be launched at a price excluding bonuses of around €25,000 in France.
Success already seems to be there for the star of the Geneva show. Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand, announced to Automotive News Europe to have “a waiting list of 50,000 people” for the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, less than a week after its official presentation.
These figures are always difficult to put into perspective, between simple expressions of interest, pre-reservations and possibly taking deposits. Let us recall for comparison that the Renault Zoe had only exceeded 100,000 units sold over the course of a year once during its career, in 2020, with 100,657 cars sold on the European continent.
The Citroën ë-C3, which will be the main rival of the Renault 5 E-Tech electric at its launch, had recorded a figure of 15,000 pre-reservations three months after its announcement, which had already been considered promising by the mark in the chevrons.
First deliveries in the fall, but not for everyone
Renault should therefore have no trouble finding customers for the launch of its R5. “The problem is not whether we have customers, the challenge is to have a gradual ramp-up and to be able to deliver to the first customers in October”explains Fabrice Cambolive.
The first cars delivered will be the versions equipped with the larger of the two batteries offered, that of 52 kWh (400 km of autonomy), the prices of which we do not yet know. The 40 kWh battery (300 km range), the one which promises a starting price of around €25,000 excluding bonuses, will be launched “some months later”explains the CEO of the diamond brand.
Remember that Renault is offering to be among the first customers delivered by purchasing the “R5 R Pass”, billed at €150. For the others, in view of Fabrice Cambolive’s announcements, we should therefore not hope to be delivered from October. Firm orders for the Renault 5 E-Tech electric will be opened in May. It is probably on this date that we will be entitled to more details on the prices of the different versions of the model.