As electrification progresses around the world, it can be easy to forget the scale of the transformation underway. Automakers must consider how they relate to the electric vehicle (EV) market and new infrastructure, and consumers must acclimatise to products that often differ significantly from what came before. Vittorio d’Arienzo, Platform Global Leader at Renault subsidiary Ampere, believes the transformation is no less significant than the transition from horses to cars in the early 20th Century. “EVs completely change the vehicle architecture, so we can really consider it a quantum leap,” he tells Automotive World. “Of course, every OEM will employ a different strategy, some progressive and some conservative.”
Building on the ‘Renaulution’ vision of Renault Chief Executive Luca de Meo, Ampere is going “all in” on EV technology that provides tangible user benefits beyond carbon reduction. “We can’t expect to charge customers more just for that,” states d’Arienzo. For an EV to succeed, it must have the DNA of a desirable car, with the electric powertrain merely a detail in the broader concept. He puts forward the Renault 5 E-Tech, which began production in 2024, as an example of this design philosophy in action.
Freedom of design
In d’Arienzo’s opinion, EVs, free from the constraints of emission regulations like Euro 6 and 7, provide an opportunity to reintroduce a sense of excitement back into driving performance. “You can start from a blank piece of paper,” he says. De Meo was reportedly captivated by the original Renault 5 and wanted to bring its design ethos into the electric era. “I think it’s one of the few vehicles where a platform had to fit the design, not the other way around,” states d’Arienzo. Ampere’s objective with the R5 E-Tech was to deliver a “responsive, smooth, and pleasurable” driving experience.
The model is built on the AmpR Small platform for electric B-segment cars. Its 42kWh or 50kWh battery—depending on spec—is situated low and central relative to the wheels for a low centre of mass and gravity. A compact multi-link rear axle created additional battery space, while the flexibility of an electric powertrain on the front axle allowed designers to make the bonnet shorter and more aerodynamic. This new generation design formula, explains d’Arienzo, produced a wide body with short overhangs and a large (254cm) wheelbase, enabling stable handling and interiors more spacious than a typical small hatchback. In total, the R5 E-Tech is 9cm shorter and 6cm higher than a modern Renault Clio.
“You couldn’t do all this in an internal combustion engine (ICE) car: the engine and gearbox are so wide that they restrict wheel turn radius.” Recognising, unlocking, and marketing these inherent benefits of an electric powertrain will be important for expanding EV adoption. “This is design freedom without compromising on the basics: comfort, driveability, and storage.” It is important to get these right, d’Arienzo emphasises, because the EV driving experience can be very different for customers accustomed to gasoline-powered, manual gearbox models. By comparison, the R5 E-Tech offers what he calls “neutral” on-street behaviour.
Delivering the EV experience
It is significant that the automaker resurrected the Renault 5 name for its new electric model. The original was produced from 1972 to 1985 and became one of the best-selling cars in France’s history—approximately 5.5 million units. At a time when affordability is top of consumers’ minds, particularly in Europe, the automaker is now attempting to recapture this mass market success in the electric era. In France, there are currently three versions of the R5 E-Tech available with different specs, starting at around €27,900 (US$28,743), or €25,990 after factoring in the country’s EV incentive deductions. A €25,000 base model will be released later in 2025, placing it among the cheapest non-Chinese EVs in the world.
The R5 E-Tech is envisioned as the frontrunner of a “family” of EVs built on the AmpR Small platform. “On the one hand, it’s expensive to start with a dedicated platform. But in the long term, customers need to feel the real advantages of EV ownership,” says d’Arienzo. He summarises these as better and quieter performance than ICE and a lower total cost of ownership. “If manufacturers don’t focus on those, they’re simply providing an electric powertrain without actually delivering a different experience.”
Determining how design makes use of components like batteries and motors, he continues, needs to be an intrinsic part of the early EV development process. “Customers should love EVs because they drive well, look cool and offer everything necessary, not just because they’re electric.” Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that consumers around the world have shifted away from environmental considerations to prioritising the daily practicalities of EV ownership. Several legacy automakers are now discovering that EV desirability is the key to maintaining their share in highly competitive markets.
Democratising EVs
Following a year of decline in the European EV segment, the region’s automakers now face a significant pricing challenge. Government-sponsored purchase incentive schemes have largely been abandoned or scaled back, leaving many products unaffordable and inaccessible to the mass-market consumers necessary for sustaining growth.
I think we need to transform the compact/city car segment so European customers can move away from 2.5 tonne SUVs with 100kWh batteries
If the objective of electrification is to have a positive impact on the environment, d’Arienzo believes selling polarising, niche, and unsustainably produced EVs must come to an end. “In particular, I think we need to transform the compact/city car segment so European customers can move away from 2.5 tonne SUVs with 100kWh batteries.” This will be more difficult in some markets than others, although he reports anecdotally that it is happening. It is notable that in November 2024, the R5 E-Tech’s first full month of sales, it managed to outsell the Tesla Model Y in France.
By popularising smaller models with affordable prices and EV-centric design, d’Arienzo posits that e-mobility can be “democratised”, and the industry can deliver on its ecological mission. “That all starts by considering the weight, footprint, and efficiency of the vehicle.” The next model built on the AmpR Small platform—the Twingo E-Tech, scheduled for release in 2026 and priced at less than €20,000—will continue Renault’s push in this direction. “Models like these will make our cities a better place to live, and customers will find they’ve paid one-third of the average price for an EV that’s still easy to drive and own,” he concludes.
