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Twizy to outsell Fluence?

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Time 4:41 pm, February 15, 2012

RENAULT has more than 200 deposits on the table for its Twizy electric car – and it is likely to outsell the Fluence model too.

Speaking exclusively to Car Dealer, Renault’s head of electric vehicle programme revealed that the French firm’s new two-seater Twizy has already generated a large amount of interest from UK buyers – even though Renault has not actively marketed the car yet.

‘We announced prices at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and within two weeks we had 100 deposits,’ said Andy Heiron. ‘This was despite people only seeing pictures of it; we haven’t even given the Twizy its own television ad campaign yet.’


The Twizy is a four-wheeled quadricycle and is powered by a 17bhp electric motor, with a range of 60 miles. Prices will start from £6,690 when it hits Renault’s dealer network in April, while the higher spec model will cost £7,400.

The monthly battery lease cost for both versions will be £40 including VAT for a 36 month/4,500 miles per year agreement.

Renault is using Facebook and showing off the car in shopping centres to generate even more orders from customers – and those 200 deposits may just be the start of a successful year ahead for the Twizy EV.


Quirky Twizy is likely to outsell conservative Fluence this year

But those 200-odd deposits have not been from customers in urban areas, said Heiron.

‘We were surprised when we looked at the figures,’ he said. ‘Our natural assumption was that London would be the place where the majority of the deposits were taken. They are dotted everywhere, but it’s in areas such as East Anglia where the Twizy has been most popular.

‘And 90 per cent of the deposits have been from males,’ Heiron added.

Heiron chose to withhold predicted sales figures for its electric vehicle range, but hinted its new Fluence model – which is available in dealers from next month – will ‘be in the hundreds rather than the thousands’.

Heiron also revealed that the Twizy is ‘likely’ to outsell the more conservative, five-seater Fluence too.

 

James Batchelor's avatar

James – or Batch as he’s known – started at Car Dealer in 2010, first as the work experience boy, eventually becoming editor in 2013. He worked for Auto Express as editor-at-large and was the face of Carbuyer’s YouTube reviews. In 2020, he went freelance and now writes for a number of national titles and contributes regularly to Car Dealer. In October 2021 he became Car Dealer's associate editor.



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