You Won't Need A License To Drive This Renault

by Derek Kreindler

March 29th, 2012 2:24 PM

you won t need a license to drive this renault

Renault will start selling their Twizy electric vehicle in the United Kingdom, and the new vehicle is causing some headaches for UK regulators, who will have to establish a new vehicle category for it.

Limited to 28 mph, the Twizy would be classified as a new type of quadricycle due to its small size and 772 lb curb weight. 16 year olds would have to pass some kind of knowledge and practical exam, but they wouldn’t need a driver’s license to operate a Twizy.

While the Twizy would only cost $9,863, Renault’s Andy Heiron said that insurance premiums (which are exorbitantly high for young drivers in the UK) could be as high as $6363 for drivers under the age of 18 – though they would be heavily reduced as drivers got older. As novel as the concept of a city car for young people may be, the astronomical insurance figures will kill this thing long before the goofy appearance, or the reduced costs of a scooter begin to come in to play.

#CityCar #Quadricycle #Renault #RenaultTwizy #UrbanCar

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13 of 31 comments

Another_pleb on Mar 29, 2012

The idea of young motorists getting their hands on a vehicle without adequate training and being able to demonstrate a minimum level of practical competence fills me with dread. When the young driver of a Twizy finally gets around to graduating up to a Twingo, they will have learned so many bad habits that they will probably require more training from their ADI than someone with no prior experience to pass their test.

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R H on Mar 30, 2012

How does the "unlicensed" version work legally in UK? Anyone know? Can people who have had their licenses yanked still drive these ? Are people who drive these required to carry liability insurance? Are these going to be plated? My biggest fear is these end up like bicycles with no responsibility needed for the driver.....except these can kill peds/motorcyclists/bicyclists a lot easier in an accident.

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- Charly on Mar 30, 2012
  
  They have the same rules as mopeds. Don't know the British rules but here they need to be insured and plated. You also need a license to drive them but that license is much easier to get than a real driving license.
  
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- Highlandmiata on Mar 30, 2012
  
  @charly In many jurisdictions "here" mopeds are not licensed if they are under a certain displacement... I think it is 50cc? Not sure what, if any, restrictions there are on small 4-wheel vehicles like golf carts.
  
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- Charly on Mar 30, 2012
  
  @charly Here only the electrically assisted bikes don't require an insurance (and i could be wrong on that). This definitely would need one in the civilized parts of the EU
  
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- Another_pleb on Mar 30, 2012
  
  To ride a motorcycle or scooter under 125cc in the UK, you need to do a Compulsory Basic Training course (CBT). These courses are privately administered and don't amount to much more than wobbling around some cones in an empty car-park. After passing a CBT, you are required to display L-plates, wear a helmet, have valid tax, insurance and MOT but are not subjected to any more tests of ability for 2 years when the CBT course has to be repeated. You can, of course elect to take your practical test before the 2 year CBT expires and ride unrestricted bikes.
  
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- R H on Mar 30, 2012
  
  @another_pleb So with one of these "CBT's" you can get an older 2-stroke Aprilia RS125? I think it's technically just a little smaller than 125 but I could be wrong.
  
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- Another_pleb on Mar 30, 2012
  
  @another_pleb I think the bike needs to produce under 12.5 bhp so you'd need some sort of a restrictor valve on the exhaust.
  
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Herm on Mar 30, 2012

I dont think this is really intended for kids, grownups will be all over them as a city car (from what I read in the european electric forums).. much more dignified than a moped but they need to fit some doors for when it rains. I believer there are also subsidies that are not mentioned in the article.

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- Charly on Mar 30, 2012
  
  It has doors. It just looks cooler without them. They are often used by persons with disabilities and as such can get subsidies.
  
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Steven Lang on Mar 30, 2012

A few things... 1) You can get an old beater in the UK for a cheap, cheap price these days. 2) If that fails, you can get a scooter. 3) If even that fails, you can take a heaping load of public transportation for the overall ownership costs of this machine. Plus have enough coinage to vacation in Spain and enjoy the rioting. Who said toy the rich? Ding! Ding! Ding! Two points for you!

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- Protomech on Mar 30, 2012
  
  It's a rich man's toy if it goes unused because it doesn't meet their needs, or it requires the purchase and maintenance of a second vehicle that would not otherwise have been purchased. Operational costs should be significantly lower than your (or my) Insight .. and the purchase price isn't substantially higher than I paid for my MY2000 a few years back. I'm curious whether people that are actually shopping these (not the commentariat here) are considering this more as an alternative to a powered two wheeled vehicle, a beater, or a new small car.
  
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- Charly on Mar 30, 2012
  
  This is definitely not a toy for the rich. It is for people who can't get a driver license (for non-alcoholic reasons). And i doubt that a beater is cheaper for people who aren't mechanics
  
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