- This Renault 5 restomod comes with a modern electric powertrain and a specially built digital gauge cluster.
- In keeping with its adorable size and looks, the 22.0-kW battery ekes out just 50 miles of estimated range.
- The entire project reportedly took four days to complete, with the finished work showcased last year on French television.
Picture this: You’re enjoying your second coffee of the day outside of a lovely cafe in the French countryside. You finish your coffee and head down to your adorable yellow and red Renault R5 GTL restomod. Your house is a pleasant 30-mile drive away. Merde! In all your excitement to get to the cafe, you forgot that the tiny 22.0-kW battery in your EV-converted R5 only has 50 miles of range. At least it’s adorable.
The tiny battery is reportedly due to France’s insistence that combustion cars converted to EVs maintain their original weight. The conversion took four days and used the pre-homologated ‘Retrofit’ EV switch kit from French conversion firm R1 Fit.
The real prize of this particular conversion is in the interior. The throwback cabin houses a digital gauge cluster finished in a retro style that replicates the original analog look. The system was designed and installed by the software company Incari, who said it took about eight weeks to work out all the bugs.
We love the spirit of the project and think it would make a great grocery-getter for around town. Just don’t go too far for your baguettes. You’ve only got 50 miles of range, after all.
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
