Renault has revealed the production version of the Mobilize Bento and Duo, both electric quadricycles conceived along the same lines as the Citroen Ami.
Aimed at retail and business customers, the Duo and Bento are scheduled for a public reveal at next week's Paris motor show. The Duo is a two-seater quadricycle that will rival the Citroen Ami, which means it can be driven without a driving licence (depending on local regulations).
The Bento is a micro van which swaps the rear passenger seat for a 649-litre cargo box suitable for carrying small items and equipment. Since it is technically a van, the Bento does require a licence.
They both offer a central driving position with compact dimensions (2.43m and 2.54m respectively) which should make them easy to park and manoeuvre in the busy cities for which they are intended. For instance, it has a turning circle of 6.80m – tighter than a London cab.
Customers will be able to choose from two variants of the Duo: a 45 Neo and an 80 Evo, each homologated to the L6e and L7e quadricycle regulations. The former is limited to 28mph, while the latter can do 50mph.
Both make use of a 10.3kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery, which is good for a range of up to 100 miles for the Duo, and 92 miles for the Bento. This is combined with a 48V electric motor from the Renault Austral mild-hybrid.
The battery takes 3hr 50min to charge from 20-80% on an AC connection and 3hr 25min on DC, suggesting the Duo peaks at around 3kW. Renault did not disclose the Duo or Bento's maximum charging rates.
Renault has also yet to disclose a power figure for the 48V motor, but claims that it provides “strong acceleration” up to town speeds. L6e quadricycles are legally limited to 8bhp, while their L7e counterparts can be boosted up to 21bhp. The L7e Microlino's single motor puts out 17bhp, for reference.
It has also been claimed that the Duo and Bento have been built with comfort as a priority. Inside, it gets a heated driver's seat and windscreen in winter, as well as manual air conditioning for summer.
The car’s interior is said to have been styled to look like a boombox, with a largely squared-off dashboard and controls that are deliberately basic so that different people can drive the vehicle without any issues. There is also a transducer installed on the dashboard, which is said to transform the interior into a “giant loudspeaker”.
Its chassis has also been tweaked for comfort, with wide tracks supposedly allowing Renault to position the shock absorbers for "exceptional ride comfort" when travelling over speed bumps and potholes.
Benjamin Manceau, product leader for the Duo and Bento said: “For young apprentices or students far from public transportation, Duo is a true tool of independence. Its generous range and the need for fewer charges mean that students can enjoy their journeys without worrying about running out of power.”
The cars are also produced with an eye on sustainability. The main body parts, for example the bumpers, wings and wheel arches, are made of 60% recycled polymers sourced from cars which were about to be scrapped. Renault claims that at the end of its life, the Duo will be "at least 95% recyclable".
What's more, Renault says it has gone to considerable efforts to limit the number of parts and components used in the Duo. For example, the front and rear bumpers are identical, which helps to contribute to it using five times fewer parts than a conventional car.
It will be built alongside the Dacia Sandero and Dacia Jogger at the Renault Group’s plant in Tangier, Morocco, which takes 90% of its energy from renewable sources. This attention to sustainability means that, over its lifetime, Renault says the Duo emits a third of the greenhouse gas emissions of an A-segment city car.
Prices for the L6 version will start at €9990 (excluding incentives) in France, indicating that it will cost from around £10,000 in the UK. The L7 version is priced from €11,600 in France, with Evo trim adding Bluetooth, a heated seat and orange accents for €900. The Bento, meanwhile, is priced at €10,900 in France (excluding VAT).
