The iconic Renault 5 hatchback is getting rebooted as a sexy EV, informed by the iconic little Cinq of the past, but not necessarily beholden to it. In fact, you can say that about Renault in general, because this R5 Concept EV was revealed as part of a larger push to reinvent the French company for the 2020s and beyond that the company is calling Nouvelle Vague—New Wave. Renault as a services company, as a tech company, et cetera. Oh, and they’re still going to build cars—and if they’re anything like this R5 concept, that’s great news for those that can buy them.
The company is promising seven fully-electric vehicles—half its projected lineup—to be full EVs by 2025. The company already sells a range of EVs, from the tiny and bizarre Twizy to the Master Z.E. commercial van, but the best-known EV in the lineup is