Buying and using electric vehicles is the new tide and trend sweeping across the globe. According to the International Energy Agency, there were only 10 million electric vehicles in 2020, but the number is expected to grow exponentially and hit 145 million by 2030. Because they use electricity instead of gas, they are considered one of the best ways to address global warming. Maintaining them is also cheap, and you should not be left behind as more people rush to buy them, but which model do you select? If your work does not involve traveling over long distances, there are two unique models that you should consider, Renault Twizy and Toyota i-Road.
Both Renault Twizy and Toyota i-Road are small and designed for urban runaround, but they also feature distinctive differences. The most notable difference is that the Toyota i-road is a tricycle while Renault Twizy runs on all four. On propulsion, Twizy uses a single motor that rotates the rear wheels while the Toyota i-road uses two motors, one on each wheel on the front. Keep reading as we dig deeper into these two unique models to help you pick the ideal option.
What is Renault Twizy?
This is a two-seat microcar designed and sold by Renault. In Europe, it can be classified as a heavy or light quadricycle based on the power out output. The heavy model delivers 13 kW (17 hp) while the lighter one lighter one manages 4 kW (5.4 hp).
The car was developed as a concept model by two engineers, Luciano Bove and Francoise Leboinne, and debuted during the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Although the original production was in Spain, it was moved to South Korea because of the fast-growing demand in Asia. It has a width of only 1.19 meters, a length of 2.32 meters, and a height of 1.46 meters.
Twizy entered the French market in 2012, and emerged the top-selling plug-in EV car in Europe later in the year. By 2015, more than 15,000 Twizys had been sold globally. The 2015 sales almost doubled by 2019 when they surpassed the 29,000 mark.
What is Toyota i-road?
Toyota i-road is a 2-seat, 3-wheeled electric car designed by Toyota. It rocks a unique design with two wheels on the front and one on the rear. The front wheels are powered by independent electric 2kW electric motors.
i-Road is designed to seat two, the driver and passenger in tandem. It also comes with features such as a steering wheel, accelerator, brake pedal, and manually sliding windows that make the occupants feel like they are in an actual car.
One unique thing about the i-Road is its intuitive operation. When negotiating corners at speed, the car uses a lean actuator alongside a special gearing system that works with the steering wheel to move the wheels independently. So, if you are negating a corner, say turning right, the left-side front wheel will draw out as the right-side wheel draws in a little. Therefore, the car will lean to the right for more stability.
Why Should You Buy a Renault Twizy or Toyota i-road?
Today, unlike any other time in the past, more people appreciate the need to shift to modern electric models. This is one of the primary reasons why you should go for the Twizy or i-Road. Other reasons include:
- Small and Compact Design
Unlike other car models, such as trucks and sedans, Twizy and i-Road are pretty small and compact. This is why they are referred to as “microcars,” but they work excellently. The compact design also implies that you do not need a lot of parking space, whether at home or downtown.
- Easy to Maneuver
Another reason why you should consider i-Road or Twizzy is that they are pretty easy to maneuver. Their operations are pretty basic and one can learn to use them and drive on the road easily.
- Easy to Maintain
Like other electric vehicles on the road, you will love these two micro-cars because they are very easy to maintain. Because they do not have internal combustion engines, the design is very simplistic. The main system only involves the battery, the motor and the steering system.
- It is a Good Way to Cut Personal Carbon Footprint
To address the problem of global warming, it is paramount that everyone is involved and you can be part of the noble course by using an iRoad or Twizy. Since they rely on electricity, you can drive to work without releasing emissions that can cause harm to the environment.
Renault Twizy vs Toyota i-road Differences
While Renault Twizy and Toyota i-Road look so similar, they feature fundamental differences in their design. Here are some of them:
The most notable difference is in the propulsion. Renault Twizy uses four wheels, just like a standard sedan. Therefore, driving feels like a standard car. In contrast, the Toyota i-Road uses three wheels, implying that it is a tricycle. However, the car feels very comfortable to drive because, unlike the standard tricycles, which have two wheels in the rear, the back of the i-Road one wheel and the other two on the front.
To make i-Road unique, Toyota designed it with two motors, one on each wheel on the front. This independence means that the wheel is able to make more maneuvers. For example, the wheels move independently when driving around corners, making the car tilt inwards for more stability. For the Renault Twizy, the wheels are powered by a single motor and they run like a standard car.
When it comes to speed, both i-Road and Twizy are able to hit a maximum of 28miles per hour, but the new versions are able to do more. The Japanese i-Road versions are designed to reach 37 miles per hour, while the Twizy edges faster to 45 miles per hour. Many people find this enough for urban runarounds.
Renault Twizy vs Toyota i-road Pros
Here are the main pros that you should expect from using the electric Twizy or i-Road car.
- Both Twizy and i-Road are designed with a compact design that makes it easy to maneuver in the city.
- The cars are electric, implying that you can drive around the city without relying on gasoline. All that you need to do is charge their batteries.
- The i-Road has independent front wheel suspensions and a retraction model that enhances its stability when negotiating corners. For Twizy, the four wheels design makes it run like a standard car, which is pretty smooth whether driving on straight pavements or around corners.
- Whether you select the Twizy or i-Road, you can only take one passenger. With the Renault Twizy, the passenger sits right behind the driver, implying that the car works well for both right and left-hand oriented persons. In the case of i-Road, the passenger sits in tandem with the driver, which helps with enhancing the car’s stability.
Renault Twizy vs Toyota i-road Cons
While their benefits are many and indeed impressive, Toyota i-Road and Renault Twizy also have their own share of cons. First, both cars are pretty small, implying that they cannot be used to carry more passengers. You can only carry a maximum of one passenger in each car. So, if there are more passengers, a bigger electric car would come in handy.
Another con associated with the two is that they are only suitable for running through paved roads, preferably urban areas. So, if you have to cover longer distances or drive through rough off-road sections, the two cars will not be ideal.
Unlike the Twizy, which looks pretty like a standard car, but smaller in size, the i-Road is a tricycle. Some people would not want to imagine going back to three wheels. However, the car is amazingly stable and will not tip over easily. Even when negotiating corners at top speed, the car is pretty stable because of its unique suspension design.
When it comes to speed, Twizy is way ahead of i-Road. Capable of rocking a maximum of 45 miles per hour, it implies that most of the city’s vicinity will be within your reach. However, it will be a good idea to target shorter distances because the batteries require regular recharging.
How to Make Your Decision?
When selecting a town runaround electric car, you need to be careful to pick the model that fits your lifestyle. To make your decision on whether to buy the Twizy or i-Road, here are the things to consider:
- The distance you cover every day moving around the city.
- The targeted speed when driving around.
- The overall outlook or appearance of the car.
- The availability of the charging stations in your city and workplace.
- Comfort of the driver and passenger.
- Durability of the car.
Finally
Renault Twizy and Toyota i-Road came out as two compact cars that you can rely on for urban runarounds. They have impressive speed, are electric, and impressively stable on the road. Although the i-Road’s mechanism is impressive, especially for negotiating corners, the compact size and tandem sitting model does not make it very comfortable when driving around. Twizy, on the other hand, feels more comfortable with the passenger behind the driver, making every ride awesome. From this comparison, Renault Twizy rocks a more intuitive design and makes one feel like a standard car but only smaller. This makes Twizy the better option.