Renault is promising a sub-$22K electric car – can it deliver?
Cheap, small, and made in Europe – Renault has hit the sweet spot with the latest announcement of its new electric city car, set to replace the popular yet quirky little Twingo e-Tech. Today the French automaker’s subsidiary Ampere released a few more details about its third upcoming affordable electric car, the Legend, which will be priced under €20,000, or less than $22,000. That is, if market realities don’t spoil all the fun.
A small electric city car from a brand that knows this genre well is great news, and it’s a quick response Citroën’s under €20,000 ë-C3. Ampere has three EVs coming out that should be under €30,000 ($32,550), including the Renault 4 and 5. The new Legacy is expected to come out in 2025, and takes the brand’s goal of making “electric cars accessible to all” even further. At under €20,000 before subsidies, this could be a game changer.
While we still don’t have details on size, it’ll be a wee thing. It’ll likely be smaller than the Renault 5, which is 3.92 meters (154.3 inches) long, and will probably be a slight upgrade in luxury terms from the Dacia Spring, the brand’s best-selling and cheapest EV.
Ampere is promising “best-in-class efficiency” with an energy consumption of 10 kilowatt-hours per 100 km, which is on par with small, light, efficient EVs. The Legend, according to a press release, will have 75% lower CO₂ emissions than the average European ICE car sold this year over its lifecycle, zero tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and lower raw materials consumption due to its compact size.
As we reported yesterday, the car will be built at the Nono Mesto plan in Slovenia, where the Twingo is made, according to the sources who talked to Reuters. This fact alone separates it from the group’s Chinese-made Dacia Spring (and gives it an advantage in applying to strict EU incentive programs).
Now for the buzzkill part. Of course it’s easy to get excited when automakers target low price points, but we’ve been disappointed before. Volkswagen, Renault, and Stellantis have all presented EVs at €20,000 in the past – but after a few years of development, reality sets in, bumping that price up to €25,000. The Renault 5 was originally pitched as starting as low as €20,000 – now it’s starting at €25,000. Still, the fact that Renault hasn’t abandoned this crucial market – the low-budget EV buyer – is a great sign, and hopefully Ampere will have more surprises in store.
Ampere will offer a total of seven models by 2031: the electric Mégane E-Tech, Scenic, R5 and R4, the Legend, and two other models to be announced. Of course, Ampere is hoping to gain some equal ground to Telsa and BYD, but this won’t be easy by any means. Today’s investor day event will hopefully drum up some funding, and its CEO Luca de Meo, the former head of the Renault Group, has valued the new EV business unit at up to €10 billion ($10.47 billion). The company is planning an IPO next year, and Nissan and Mitsubishi are both investing €600 and €200 million respectively.
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Tesla is going to build a new Megafactory in Texas near Houston, according to a tax abatement agreement with Waller County.
At the time of writing, Tesla had yet to comment on the new project, but the Waller County Commissioners Court confirmed the project on Wednesday when they approved a tax abatement deal with the company:
Under the proposed agreement, Tesla will receive tax abatements from Waller County based on property improvements. The deal includes $44 million in facility improvements and $150 million in Tesla manufacturing equipment that Tesla will install. The next phase involves a new $31 million distribution facility with about $2 million in Tesla distribution equipment and building upgrades.
Tesla is going to take over a 1-million-sq-ft building that it already held the lease on at the Empire West industrial park near Katy, Texas – just outside of Houston.
Logistics company DB Schenker occupied the space where it handled parts for Tesla, but it will move out and Tesla plans to build Megapack production lines at the site:
Tesla will operate a new Megapack battery storage manufacturing facility at a 1 million-square-foot building, which was initially constructed with no tenant on speculation that it would attract jobs and economic development.
Tesla has previously referred to plants producing Megapacks as “Megafactory”. The company already operates one in Lathrop, California, and one in Shanghai, China, where it just started production.
Those factories are set up for a production capacity of 40 GWh worth of Megapacks per year.
It’s not clear if Tesla plans for a similar capacity at this new factory, but the county announced project should result in creating 1,500 jobs.
In addition to the existing building, the project will include the construction of an additional “600,000-square-foot distribution facility with some manufacturing capabilities.”
Unlike its automotive business, Tesla’s energy business has been growing at an impressive pace – although prices and margins have come down last year.
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![Is Genesis taking notes from Porsche? New GV60 Magma caught with the Taycan [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Genesis-GV60-Magma-Porsche-2.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Genesis is gearing up to unleash its alter ego with its upcoming Magma lineup, its debut into the world of high-performance luxury vehicles. First up is the Genesis GV60 Magma, due out later this year. As testing wraps up, the GV60 Magma was spotted alongside none other than the Porsche Taycan.
The first dedicated Genesis EV model, the GV60, will kick off another new chapter for the Korean luxury automaker.
Genesis unveiled the GV60 Magma last March, claiming it will kick off “the brand’s expansion into the realm of high-performance vehicles.” The performance EV includes an improved battery, chassis, and motor for added performance.
The Magma model boasts a wider, lower stance for more control. Other key upgrades include a wider front air intake to help cool the batteries, motor, and brakes. It also includes air curtains to maximize efficiency and an added roof fin channels air to the rear wing, generating downward force.
Genesis upgraded the interior to match the GV60 Magma’s luxurious, sporty design. It includes unique sports car-like bucket seats with exclusive “double-diamond stitching” in the Magma orange and titanium coloring.
Genesis GV60 Magma spotted with the Porsche Taycan
With its official debut coming up, the sporty Genesis GV60 Magma was spotted testing alongside a Porsche Taycan and Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 N models.
Despite the camouflage, the video from CarSpyMedia reveals a few new design elements, like the two-line headlight featured on the updated GV60 model.
Genesis will launch the GV60 Magma later this year in its home market, followed by the US, Europe, and others. Production is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2025.
Will the Genesis GV60 Magma keep up with the Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model S Plaid? Priced and specs will be revealed closer to launch, but it will sit above the Performance AWD trim, which starts at $69,900 in the US. With up to 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, it can hit 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
| Horsepower | 0 to 60 mph (seconds) |
Starting Price | |
| Genesis GV60 Performance | 429 | 3.7 | $69,900 |
| Genesis GV60 Magma | ? | ? | ? |
| Porsche Taycan | 402 | 4.5 | $99,400 |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (with Weissach Package) |
1,092 | 2.1 | $230,000 |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 1,020 | 1.99 | $89,990 |
In comparison, the Porsche Taycan starts at $99,400 with up to 402 hp and a 0 to 60 mph time in 4.5 seconds. The Taycan Turbo GT, equipped with its Weissach package, packs 1,092 hp for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 2.1 seconds, but it costs $230,000.
Tesla’s Model S Plaid starts at $79,990 and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds with 1,020 horsepower. Which performance EV are you choosing?
Source: CarSpyMedia
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