Quebec-Based Business to Bring Electric Renault Twizy to Canada

Photo Credit: Renault

Spring brings a certain amount of electricity in the air. If you have attended or kept abreast of the North American auto show season, you will realize automobiles are also seeing the a futuristic light in regards to alternative energy.

Electric cars or vehicles featuring the propulsion assistance through electricity is becoming as common as alloy wheels. A new beginning where established automotive players have introduced like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, all-new Toyota Prius, Acura NSX and Hyundai IONIQ, the uncharted territory in the 21st century gives some newcomers a fighting chance to make a name. Tesla Motors comes to mind immediately as a disrupter to the traditional motoring landscape with the Model S and the Model X. One Canadian company in Terrebonne, Quebec ambitions to carve a niche in the electric car market passed through an important step earlier this month.

AZRA Canada, a business that touts operating Canada's largest private network of fast charging stations, wishes to distribute a unique electric vehicle. Instead of designing their own, AZRA has partnered with French auto maker Renault to import a microcar called the Twizy to the country. On March 19th, AZRA Canada announced certification for the all-electric Renault Twizy 40 by Transport Canada allowing the vehicle to be acknowledged as street legal.

Photo Credit: Renault

The Renault Twizy electric car make the Smart Fortwo look like a mid-sized sedan. Nimble and lightweight, the car is designed to make full use of a small electric powertrain for urban travel. Currently sold in Europe, the Renault Twizy measures 2,338 millimeters (92.05 inches) in total length and is only 1,381 millimeters (54.37 inches) wide between the edges of the side-mounted exterior mirrors. The size of the car allows Renault to boast an ability to park up to three Twizys in one standard vehicle parking spot. With tandem seating for a driver and passenger, a full range of safety equipment built into the ultra-compact (airbags, four-point safety harness and a tubular frame) provides a comforting riding experience in the pod-like, four-wheeled vehicle. Powered through a 17-horsepower electric motor, energy is stored in a 6.1 kWh lithium ion battery. In Europe, some Renault Twizy electric cars are deployed in a car-sharing manner. Ten have been most recently included within the Cumbria's Lake District region.

Photo Credit: Renault

One major differences Canadian customers of the AZRA-sourced Twizy electric vehicles will notice appears to be related to speed. While the European Renault is capable of speeds up to 50 miles per hour or 80 kilometers per hour, it seems the Twizy 40 products will be limited to 40 kilometers per hour. This seems to imply the Twizy 40 will be sold as a low speed vehicle in Canada. Low speed vehicle criteria often provide easier access to roads in Canada since those type of vehicles are not required to adhere to crash testing standards.

Deeper details of AZRA Canada's plans with their imported Renault Twizy 40 and their business is expected for April 15th. One early media report places the potential price of the Twizy 40 at $17,000 pre government incentives.