Skip advert
Advertisement

Renault’s e-Plein Air is a Renault 4 electric car ready for the beach

Renault creates electric e-Plein Air to celebrate 10th anniversary of the Renault 4L International event

Renault Classic has marked the 10th anniversary of its 4L International festival by creating an electric version of the popular Renault 4.

Called the e-Plein Air, the one-off vehicle is a nod to the Renault 4 Plein Air beach vehicle of the 1960s.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The e-Plein Air’s powertrain and battery have been lifted from a Renault Twizy, giving the vehicle 17bhp and a range of 62 miles; the latter figure, however, was derived from the now-defunct NEDC efficiency test, with real-world range in the region of 50 miles.

Officially the Twizy has a top speed of 50mph, although Renault claims to have hit 53mph in the e-Plein Air during testing, with a maximum figure of 62mph still thought to be possible.

The car weighs 580kg, including the weight of the 6.1kWh battery. With a Type 2 charging socket, the e-Plein Air should be fully recharged using a standard 7kW wallbox in less than an hour.

Numerous changes have been made to the exterior of the donor vehicle: the wheelbase has been shortened and the wheels are bigger, referencing the JP4 incarnation of the Renault 4L from the 1980s.

The white paint is a unique blend made specially for the e-Plein Air and there’s a custom-built grille replacing the previous item.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Inside, the seats have been reupholstered with an eye-catching, blue material, while a picnic hamper features in the rear. The steering wheel and dashboard remain the same, although the instrument cluster has been borrowed from the Twizy.

Renault has no plans to put the car into production, but says it will monitor the public’s reaction to its creation. The carmaker is eager to be seen as a leader in the electric vehicle field and has turned its attention to one of its most popular classic models following the electrification of other iconic vehicles such as the Mini and Fiat 500.

The Renault e-Plein Air isn’t the first electrified beach vehicle to emerge this year: in March, Volkswagen unveiled its ID. Buggy concept based on the firm’s MEB electric-car platform. The company says MEB could support both mass-production and low-volume electric vehicles, meaning the ID. Buggy could become a reality in the future.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best electric city cars 2025
Best electric cars - header
Best cars

Best electric city cars 2025

18 Feb 2025
Top 10 best small electric cars 2025
Best small electric cars
Best cars

Top 10 best small electric cars 2025

24 Jan 2025
New Renault 5: prices, specs and on sale date
Renault 5 - front
News

New Renault 5: prices, specs and on sale date

1 May 2024

Most Popular

Polestar 3 review
Polestar 3 - front tracking
In-depth reviews

Polestar 3 review

Good-looking, spacious, and plush, the Polestar 3 is an impressive big SUV. But it’s an expensive choice and the tech grates
31 Mar 2025
Polestar 4 review
Polestar 4 - front tracking
Reviews

Polestar 4 review

The Polestar 4 is a premium mid-size SUV that's well known for not having a rear window. But there's far more to the car than that
31 Mar 2025
Renault 5 Turbo 3E: 533bhp electric rally homage hits the road in 2027
Renault 5 Turbo 3E - front
News

Renault 5 Turbo 3E: 533bhp electric rally homage hits the road in 2027

Renault will build 1,980 examples of its wide-arched performance car, in homage to the original 5 Turbo
17 Mar 2025