The ACDC way of doing things has shown executives and workers in Europe that what was previously thought to be impossible is in fact, very possible. Indeed, there’s no going back. Renault’s future models will be developed along the same lines. Costs are set to be reduced, decision making speeded up, and consumers will get an appealing EV product at a price that they can afford.
In the YouTube series, titled Inside the Twingo Revolution, Renault walks us through what was achieved with the Twingo E-Tech with company executives sharing candid insights into this internal corporate transformation. We see, in clear terms, how the company has changed the way it does things.
The story starts in episode one with Europe’s EV market in crisis. China is on the march, taking market share. What could be done? Renault responded by putting together a cross-disciplinary task force going into what the company termed “commando mode”. Designers, engineers, and product planners were urged to work more collaboratively, breaking down traditional silos. Only by doing this, could there be any chance of developing the new Twingo within the desired time period.
Then it was a case of Renault recalling the ethos and excitement behind the original Twingo back in 1993. What was it that made hearts flutter about that model? The answer was: simplicity. Give today’s urban professionals the kind of car they need in a modern city while also addressing concerns over the environment and meeting carbon reduction targets.
Twingo captured the imagination in the early 1990s with its distinctive shape with a roomy and adaptable interior. Its popularity came from the high degree of driver and passenger comfort, modularity, and joy on board. At the time, its dashboard display was cutting edge and very appealing to young professional motorists.
The new Twingo E-Tech combines the retro-inspired design with cutting edge technology. It has replaced the petrol engine with a 100 percent electric powertrain, and gone from three to five doors, plus two independent sliding rear seats and a folding backrest on the front passenger seat.
To get to this point, old processes needed to be junked. French design and Chinese efficiency with production at the heart of Europe. Renault needed to operate like leaner competitors in the EV market while also drawing on its heritage and the high standards consumers expect from its products. The YouTube series lets us be a fly on the wall as we observe how teams made this dream real.
“Build the impossible” was a key Renault mantra that drove teams forward as they worked on the new Twingo. When industry experts claimed a new model could not be developed and manufactured in such a short timescale, Renault set out to prove them wrong.
When it came to manufacturing the new Twingo, all the teams that had been working on the project converged. The mood was bullish as they prepared to see the first new cars roll off the production line, as Renault Group’s VP Project Engineering Jérémie Coiffier points out: “I consider that Twingo is first and foremost a laboratory. So, we set out as conquerors to try to discover new methods to move quickly. We have a pathfinder role, in a way, since we must explore new design methods.”