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Renault's turbo hatchback EV racks up orders despite $176,000 price tag
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 7, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 7, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Renault's Turbo 3E EV, a $176,000 limited-edition hatchback, received 850 orders in its first week. It features in-wheel motors and will be delivered by 2027.
By Gilles Guillaume
PARIS (Reuters) - Renault's limited-edition, electric remake of its iconic 1980 R5 Turbo petrol-engine hatchback, originally designed to compete in rally sports, drew 850 orders in its first week despite a 155,000 euro ($176,000) starting price, the carmaker said.
Renault plans to sell only 1,980 units of the 555-horsepower Renault 5 Turbo 3E electric vehicle, which boasts the body-built rear wings of its combustion-engine ancestor and can accelerate to 100 km (62 miles) per hour in 3.5 seconds.
That acceleration is possible thanks to two in-wheel electric motors in the rear wheels, a first for a production model vehicle.
In-wheel motors are stand-alone electric motors housed in all or some of the wheels of an EV, eliminating the need for axles and powertrains. Proponents say this frees up space inside EVs, adds power and extends battery range because the vehicle is lighter.
A spokesperson for Renault said the in-wheel motors for the Turbo 3E will be supplied by Protean, a UK-based specialist in this technology.
The spokesperson said Renault received 850 reservations for Turbo 3E in the first week after orders opened on April 22, with interest from Europe, Japan, the Middle East and Australia.
To secure the car, customers have to pay a 50,000-euro deposit and wait until 2027 when deliveries are expected to begin from Renault's Alpine plant in Dieppe, northern France.
($1 = 0.8806 euros)
(Reporting By Gilles Guillaume, Writing by Nick Carey; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
The article discusses Renault's new Turbo 3E electric vehicle, its features, pricing, and initial order success.
What makes the Turbo 3E unique? It features in-wheel motors and a design inspired by the 1980 R5 Turbo.
When will the Turbo 3E be delivered? Deliveries are expected to start in 2027.
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