Here are the top five things you are likely to hear people say as you drive down the road in a Renault Twizy: 1) Look at that! 2) What is that? 3) Is that a car? 4) It’s so cute! 5) Quick take a photo!
I have to admit, I was totally unprepared for the level of reaction I was going to get as I had my first driving experience behind the wheel of a Twizy in Macau. My first piece of advice: if you are a shy, unassuming type of person who doesn’t like to be the centre of attention, do not drive this car!
Did I mention that this car has no windows, so it is very easy to hear what people are saying about it as you are zipping past or just sitting at a red light? My second piece of advice: every time you get in this car, be prepared to smile and wave at complete strangers and possibly even pose for photos.
The Renault Twizy ZE (Zero Emissions) is indeed a head turner. For starters it really does look like something from the future, or the moon, or at least a sci-fi movie. To be fair, similar car designs have been tried before, but have never really made it past the concept stage. The Twizy however is a fully-fledged production model that is on sale and already on the roads in Europe, and now in Macau too.
Secondly it comes in a range of cool colours that you can basically customize to your own preference (something usually only possible in more top of the range vehicle classes).
Then there are those fun vertically swiveling doors that rise up with just a gentle flick of the handle, revealing the minimal, airy interior – also colour-coded.
Finally is the way the Twizy glides past you on the street with virtually no noise at all, because of course, the Twizy is fully electric, so no engine rumbling and no exhaust note.
The concept for the Twizy ZE was actually unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. The production version went on sale in France, the UK and other European countries in early 2012. So far, over 12,000 have been sold, mostly in Europe, and since arriving in Macau at the beginning of this year, there are already 12 driving around town.
In Europe the Twizy is classified as a heavy quadricycle, but in Macau it is considered a regular car, which means you need to have a driver’s license to drive it (probably a very good idea). In Hong Kong it has not been classified, so that means, for now, Macau is the only place you can find them in this part of the world.
Its 100kg, 6.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack sends power to a 17 bhp electric motor located just in front of the rear axle. Fully charged, the Twizy has a range of 100km, and is capable of a top speed of 80 km/h. Plug it in to a standard power point and it is fully charged and ready to go in just three and a half hours.
As with other electric and hybrid vehicles, it has regenerative braking technology which sends power back to the battery when you brake or go downhill. A simple display on the dashboard shows you your speed and remaining driving distance, and provides a basic indication of whether power is going out of the battery or coming back in to recharge it.
When we drove our Twizy around town, we started with a range of 50km. After an hour or so of city driving we were down to about 20km, however one coasting roll down the hill from the San Januario hospital and the battery topped back up to 30km, so with that type of driving we probably could have kept going for hours.
Another very common question we were asked during our test drive was of course, how much it costs. The answer: MOP150,000 – quite a bit more than a scooter but still half the price of a regular small car. EV’s generally require very little maintenance or servicing, and tests by the Renault dealer in Macau suggest that it would probably cost as little as MOP50 a month to charge, if driven on a regular basis, so the savings at the petrol pump are significant.
The chassis has MacPherson-style suspension front and rear, with stiff anti-roll bars designed to control body roll. There is no power steering, which feels a bit unusual at first, but once the car is moving, it is so light, it really doesn’t matter. Overall the Twizy is extremely nimble, maneuverable and responsive, hugging corners with ease, and never feeling unstable. The suspension is quite stiff however so you do feel the bumps along the way.
There is no engine noise so the ride is pretty quiet, although at higher speeds there is a clear whir from the electric motor. And of course with no windows, you do get the rush of air and all the other noises from the street, but in a way that’s all part of the fun of driving this unique little car.
At first glance, it appears to be a one-seater, but there is actually room for a passenger sitting pinion-style behind the driver.
As mentioned, there are no windows on the Twizy. In the rain, the driver is actually reasonably well protected, however the rear seat passenger will get wet. In Europe, even the doors are an optional extra, but in Macau they come standard, and you can buy attachable clear plastic sheets for the windows if you want to be able to drive your Twizy in all weather conditions.
While the Twizy is classified as a car in Macau, it’s probably better to think of it as a slightly more comfortable, safer and fun version of a motor scooter. If you are looking for the creature comforts of a normal car, you are going to be disappointed, although it does come standard with a driver airbag and reversing camera. But if you are looking for a very fun, clean and economical way of getting around town then the Twizy is definitely worth considering. And with its good range and speed, tight turning circle and convenient size, it really is the perfect run around vehicle for a city like Macau.
Mr William Mok is the General Manager for Renault in Macau. He is passionate about the benefits of Electric Vehicles (EV’s) but acknowledges the lack of charging stations is a problem.
“The major concern of customers is how to charge the car. We cannot push EV’s so much because of this limitation,” he says. “But if this problem can be solved by the government or the commercial side, it will benefit EV development here, and that will benefit the whole society, because EV’s are quiet and have zero emissions”.
“Frankly speaking Macau is very good for EV’s because it is small and flat. You can drive around the whole city and it is less than 50km, so the range is not a concern. On a full charge you can drive for two or three days.”
Mr Mok believes private companies, especially the hotel casinos, could also play a part.
“City of Dreams, Venetian and Galaxy all have large car parks. If they built ten stations each, that could serve 100 cars. They could offer this service to their visitors and could even provide EV rental car services.”
And the cost to set up a charging station?
“For a high voltage fast charging station it costs around MOP30,000. And for a standard slow charging station, the cost is only around MOP1,000. Often people don’t want to fully charge their batteries, so two hours is all they need just to top it up”.
Xin Kang Shun Motors Ltd,
Authorised Renault dealer in Macau
Rua dos Pescadores, No. 354-408, r/c, C-D, Macau
Tel: 2872 1222
