Renault's fun-loving Twizy compact EV was spun out into a new sub-brand in 2022. Now, following a world premiere at the Paris Motor Show last month, the Mobilize Duo electric micro-car and Bento e-van have driven onto the show floor at EICMA in Milan.
Technically an electric quadricycle that could be driven with or without a full car license in certain jurisdictions, the Twizy first burst onto the world stage at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was presented as one of four Z.E. vehicles that included what subsequently became Europe's favorite small EV, the Zoe, plus an electric Kangoo van.
The driver sat up front and the passenger squeezed in behind. Though protected from the elements by a windshield and roof, the two doors lacked windows. And it came in two variants – one capped at 45 km/h (28 mph) and the other at 80 km/h (50 mph). Either way, the battery wasn't included in the purchase price but was leased from Renault.
It was quirky, it was enormous fun (based on my two or three test drives), and it was relatively inexpensive. In 2022, Renault announced the end of the Twizy era but also its rebirth as the Mobilize Duo. The rear-wheel-drive micro-quad recently made its production debut in Paris, and was made available to order in mid-October. The curtains were also pulled back on a modern reworking of the Twizy Cargo, an electric micro van called the Bento.
"Responding to the challenges of mobility in and around cities, Duo and Bento reflect the vision of Mobilize: to bring retail and business customers mobility solutions that are safer, simpler, more eco-friendly and closely aligned with the major issues facing cities today," said Mobilize CEO, Gianluca De Ficchy, at last month's official launch.
The basic specs for the Duo and Bento are about the same. A 48-V motor from the Renault Austral hybrid powers the drive. The Duo two-seater comes in a lower-speed version that can be driven with or without a license in some regions and another variant that would require a Class B license.
The Bento is available in one drivetrain version only – which has a top speed of 80 km/h, meaning that folks who want to get in the driving seat will need a full license.
Each model comes with a 10.3-kWh NMC battery, which translates to a per-charge range of 161 km (100 miles) for the Duo and 149 km (92.5 miles) for the Bento. They're compact too, with the retail-focused Duo measuring 2.43 m (~8 ft) in length and 1.3 m (4.3 ft) wide, while the 649-liter double-door cargo box of the business-oriented Bento stretches the minivan out to 2.54 m (8.33 ft).
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of both versions is something that we see a lot in concepts but that rarely makes it to production models – funky vertical "elytra" doors. For the Duo, these allow access for driver and passenger, while the Bento sacrifices the rear seat for its cargo box. Either way, the doors going up instead of out should make getting in and out easier in tight spaces.
Elsewhere, there's optimized suspension "for exceptional ride comfort." Unusually for the quadricycle segment, the Mobilize vehicles come with a driver airbag as standard, as well as heated driver's seat and aircon. The Duo rocks a BoomBox dashboard that can be fed music via a Bluetooth-connected smartphone, and onboard connectivity of both vehicles caters for integration into fleet management tools.
Keyless entry is possible via a companion app, which can also be used to generate up to six digital keys. And both models are constructed using 40% recycled materials, and are 95% recyclable at the end of their operational lives.
On its home turf of France, the Duo has a starting price of €9,090 (including an eco-bonus deduction). This converts to about US$9,900, though we've no word on availability outside of Europe. The Bento is reported to be the only electric quadricycle to be certified as a commercial vehicle, and starts at €10k after eco-bonus deduction.
If you're in Milan this week, pop by the Mobilize booth for a closer look.
Source: Mobilize
