Fifth Gear takes a ride in the Renault Twizy

The Renault Twizy is already part of the first wave of electric cars entering the European market — this one will be built in Valladolid — and it has its counterpart on the side of Nissan. Fifth Gear travelled to France, where they had the chance to carry out a brief evaluation of the Twizy.

It is more than evident that the Twizy is an urban runabout par excellence, and it will perform better on the crowded city-centre streets than it would dare on a motorway. As can be seen in the video, the people at Renault have not been very generous with the small test track (it looks more like a learner’s track for children), but the Twizy can get around with considerable composure on secondary or private roads.

The Twizy seems very well suited to what it is: a kind of recreational scooter with four wheels, a second vehicle, or a car for very short trips or for businesses that want it for internal journeys.

It is a little worrying to see that the Twizy has no doors, which will only be optional. And although the sensation is more like riding on top of a motorbike, I wonder what role safety plays in driving exposed to traffic and, eventually, to accidents.

Via | Zer Customs