Renault 5 E-Tech 40 kWh review: cheap to run, if 317 km is enough

The sum first, because it's the whole case for this car. Renault rates it at 14.4 kWh/100 km under WLTP. The calculator adds 25%, which gives 18 kWh per 100 km. The plate on this page uses the EU home price, so here's the German version: Eurostat puts German households at €0.3618/kWh for the first half of 2026. Charge 85% at home and 15% at Eleport's October 2026 median of €0.55 for public fast charging, and the blend is €0.39/kWh. That's about €7.02 per 100 km.

A petrol car at 7.4 l/100 km and €1.95 a litre costs €14.43 for the same distance. At 11,400 km a year, the gap is about €845.

No driveway? Pay €0.55 for everything and the Renault costs €9.90 per 100 km, which still wins. It stops winning near €0.80/kWh. Put your own tariff in the running-cost calculator.

I haven't driven this car. Test results here come from ADAC, and estimates from EV Database. The price is €26,290, Renault's list price in Germany for the Evolution trim before delivery, checked 2 November 2026. Other countries differ, and grants and dealer offers aren't in it.

How far it really goes

Nobody I could read has measured this battery. ADAC's table of tested cars has the 52 kWh Renault 5, not this one. That car did 345 km in ADAC's Ecotest in April 2025, against the 417 km WLTP on ADAC's sheet: 17% short. Scale 317 km by the same ratio and you get about 262 km. That's my arithmetic, on a different battery, so treat it as a rough guide.

EV Database estimates 270 km for this version. That's an estimate, not a test. ADAC's online calculator gives 307 km at 10°C and a steady 90 km/h, but that's a calculation from the maker's figure and ADAC's experience.

The motorway is where the catch shows. ADAC's data sheet carries Renault's WLTP motorway phase: 19.8 kWh/100 km. Rated range times 14.4 kWh/100 km divided by 19.8 comes to about 230 km, before any cold. A 300 km motorway run is one stop, then, and in winter I'd plan for it early.

Charging, with a small disagreement

Renault's charging table says 100 kW and 30 minutes for 15-80%. Its equipment list for this car says DC 80 kW, as does the spec sheet here at 80 kW. I go with the list, and the 30 minutes is Renault's figure either way.

At home, the same table gives 3 hours 55 minutes for 15-80% on a 7.4 kW box, and 11 hours 12 minutes on a 2.3 kW socket. The second works for short daily mileage, as long as an electrician has checked the circuit first. Public AC at 11 kW takes 2 hours 37 minutes.

Living with the size

It's 3,922 mm long, and ADAC notes that's 9 cm shorter than a Clio. The back seat is the weak spot. ADAC, testing the 52 kWh car with the same body, says feet and knees run short and anyone over 1.80 m will struggle. Renault quotes a 326 l boot. ADAC measured 255 litres by its own method, and still called that generous for the class. Towing stops at 500 kg.

Two pieces of equipment I'd check on any rival. Renault's list shows a heat pump as standard on this version, which a cold-weather driver should want. A V2L adapter for running devices off the battery is a €200 option. ADAC gives the cell chemistry as NMC.

Warranty and crash rating

ADAC's sheet, for the Techno trim with this battery, lists 2 years on the car and 8 years or 160,000 km on the battery, down to 70% state of health. Thin on the car side, if it holds for this trim. Renault's German warranty page describes the cover without giving a length, so get the term in writing. The same sheet shows 4 of 5 crash stars with 76 of 100 points, tested December 2024. Kia's price list promises 7 years on the car, which is why I'd read the Renault 5 against the Kia EV2 before signing.

Who it suits

I'd buy it for a household with a charger, mostly town and suburb driving, and a few long trips a year where a stop doesn't matter. It also makes sense as a second car, if the first handles the motorway.

I'd skip it if you do more than about 200 km of motorway at a stretch every week, carry tall adults in the back, or tow anything over its limit. For the same money there are other shapes: my list of small electric cars under €30,000 has a bigger boot or two, and the rest of the city EVs are on the spec sheet.