Renault will bring the electric two-seater Duo from its Mobilize mobility brand to the UK, the company has confirmed.
Mobilize will launch the Duo in the second half of next year as part of a broader expansion of its mobility business across Europe and other markets.
The Duo – effectively a successor to the Renault Twizy – will primarily be aimed at car-sharing companies owned by Renault itself, including Zity, or other operators looking for low-cost vehicles. Renault did not specify which programs would offer Duo first.
Renault has previously said the Duo will be available on subscription, but it’s unclear if it will be aimed at private customers.
“Duo is a breakthrough for car-sharing operators,” said Fedra Ribeiro, chief operating officer of Mobilize, during a Mobilize presentation on Tuesday. She promised it would cut running costs by 35% compared to a standard four-seater car.
It’s hard to make money from car-sharing businesses where vehicles float freely, and earlier this month Mercedes and BMW sold their ShareNow joint venture to Stellantis after years of losses.
The Duo will become the Renault group’s “first software-defined vehicle” when it launches next year, Ribeiro promised. Mobilize has designed the Duo with a sophisticated computing platform that will help both operators and customers, the company said. “We have to make sure they have an exceptional experience,” Ribeiro said. She promised a seamless process “to find the car, charge the car, even have fun.”
Mobilize will bring “gamification” to the process, she said, without giving further details. Mobilize will unveil the Duo’s interior at the Paris Motor Show in September, promising a “different experience”.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-05-12 11:52:50
