Got crazy? Renault is showing the new R5 at the Geneva Motor Show. Electrically powered. Built in France. With nostalgia. For the future.
Image: Getty Images Europe
Building a small car is a great art. Especially with an electric drive. Renault even dares to do that in France. There is some joy glimmering on the horizon. But not a cheap one.
DThe unrest can be felt everywhere, a strange contradiction too. Mercedes-Benz is currently reporting double-digit billion-dollar profits, Renault is turning from a loss that threatens its existence into a comfortable plus, and the numbers in many other companies look similarly good. But concerns about the future are great and dominate the headlines. There are reports of worrying job losses, and there is no doubt that Germany's and Europe's economy is doing badly if there is a problem in the auto industry. It is stumbling through a transformation that has a political fix: From 2035 onwards, no new cars that emit CO₂ locally will be allowed to be registered, which de facto means a ban on the internal combustion engine. The only viable answer in passenger cars seems to be the battery-electric drive, but after some initial enthusiasm it doesn't pick up speed and customers hesitate.
Small cars would probably be an effective solution for the masses. Offering them with a battery at an attractive price is currently proving to be a fine art. Either they are not offered at all, or they exude the brittle charm of hard plastic landscapes, or they are too expensive. Maybe it will work with emotion, Fiat is betting on it with the 500, the new Mini is coming in May, Fiat wants to conquer hearts from summer onwards with the rebirth of its legendary Panda.
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