Auto Express 1751

THE UK’s rapid shift towards EVs means we often hear from entrepreneurs, the energy establishment and investors, with business goals underpinned by the seemingly genuine desire to make ‘Planet A’ work better. EV charging infrastructure is a case in point, where innovation and investment are often inspired by forward thinkers on a mission to change the world. The industry’s progressive instincts have, until now, sat uncomfortably with the reality of EV ownership for many. Across the past year, Auto Express has campaigned on the difficulties faced by less able drivers when confronted with weighty and unwieldy charging cables, and challenged public chargepoint providers and government to address the issue. Providers pushed back. Guidance might have emerged in April’s draft of the British Standards Institute’s PAS 1899 for Accessible Public EV Chargers. Instead, the…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • Renault 4 to be rebooted as small family-friendly all-electric SUV • Chunky-looking show car marks 4L Trophy rally’s 25th birthday FOLLOWING the rebirth of the Renault 5 hatchback in concept form, the French manufacturer has reinvented yet another icon from its back catalogue in the shape of the Renault 4Ever Trophy concept car, revealed at the Paris Motor Show. A concept – for now – the 4Ever directly previews a future production car from Renault. A reborn 4 will go on sale in 2025 as a compact family SUV with an all-electric powertrain, and it will feature many design cues from this striking-looking prototype. According to Laura Gregoire, product leader on the 4Ever project, the silver-coloured parts of the body are very close to the production-ready Renault 4’s look, even if the black…

THE UK’s rapid shift towards EVs means we often hear from entrepreneurs, the energy establishment and investors, with business goals underpinned by the seemingly genuine desire to make ‘Planet A’ work better. EV charging infrastructure is a case in point, where innovation and investment are often inspired by forward thinkers on a mission to change the world. The industry’s progressive instincts have, until now, sat uncomfortably with the reality of EV ownership for many. Across the past year, Auto Express has campaigned on the difficulties faced by less able drivers when confronted with weighty and unwieldy charging cables, and challenged public chargepoint providers and government to address the issue. Providers pushed back. Guidance might have emerged in April’s draft of the British Standards Institute’s PAS 1899 for Accessible Public EV…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • Renault 4 to be rebooted as small family-friendly all-electric SUV • Chunky-looking show car marks 4L Trophy rally’s 25th birthday FOLLOWING the rebirth of the Renault 5 hatchback in concept form, the French manufacturer has reinvented yet another icon from its back catalogue in the shape of the Renault 4Ever Trophy concept car, revealed at the Paris Motor Show. A concept – for now – the 4Ever directly previews a future production car from Renault. A reborn 4 will go on sale in 2025 as a compact family SUV with an all-electric powertrain, and it will feature many design cues from this striking-looking prototype. According to Laura Gregoire, product leader on the 4Ever project, the silver-coloured parts of the body are very close to the production-ready Renault 4’s…

LAURA Gregoire was at the sharp end of the 4Ever’s design and development. We quizzed her on the challenges of bringing such funky design to market. Q How do you reinvent a car like the 4 for the modern era without it being a total pastiche of the original? A We wanted to keep that iconic silhouette and the DNA of the original 4. However, it’s easier to modernise a hatchback like the 5, which we showed at the start of the Renaulution; the 4’s shape and volumes are more difficult to reimagine with what we need for today, but with these cars we achieved it twice! Q Who will the new Renault 4 production car be aimed at? A We want the 4 to be more versatile. The 5 has been designed for…

LAURA Gregoire was at the sharp end of the 4Ever’s design and development. We quizzed her on the challenges of bringing such funky design to market. Q How do you reinvent a car like the 4 for the modern era without it being a total pastiche of the original? A We wanted to keep that iconic silhouette and the DNA of the original 4. However, it’s easier to modernise a hatchback like the 5, which we showed at the start of the Renaulution; the 4’s shape and volumes are more difficult to reimagine with what we need for today, but with these cars we achieved it twice! Q Who will the new Renault 4 production car be aimed at? A We want the 4 to be more versatile. The 5…