Renault Twizy

[veeman]

While on vacation in Bermuda, drove a Twizy quite a bit.  Tourists can't rent ICE cars in Bermuda and there is no highway.  Just very narrow roads and the speed limit throughout the country is 35 km/hr (which no one follows).

So in concept this electric car is pretty cool.  Two passenger seating (front and back).  62 mile range on a single charge.  In Bermuda to rent one you download an APP and after they approve you (you have to upload a valid license, picture of yourself, and credit card info) you just find an available car at several different public charging stations and drive off.  $15/hr seems like a good deal but it quickly adds up.  Car is really uncomfortable.  Fat people need not attempt (especially backseat).  Hard seats.  No place to put smart phone for the driver at all and be able to view navigation.  No windows. No power steering.  If you're at a stop, once you take foot off brake, the car immediately rolls with gravity.  Never experienced that with an automatic.  No place to put left foot. 

Conceptually it's a cool little electric run about for local roads.  3rd world level accommodations.  Not that cheap to use (at least in Bermuda)

[Submariner]

Interesting that you can rent a "car" now.  When I was there (in 2016) you could only rent scooters.

Does it come with AC?

[veeman]

Interesting that you can rent a "car" now.  When I was there (in 2016) you could only rent scooters.

Does it come with AC?

No windows so no AC    Yeah we rented a scooter too and my wife and I would explore the island by day by ICE scooter.  At night we didn't feel comfortable with the scooter so we used the Twizy.  $15/hr seems good but if you go out for the evening and come back 5 hrs later, that's $75.  For using it for one evening.  Not outrageous for an expensive island but not a good deal either. 

[Laconian]

But was it fun??

I saw a number of these in Rome, where there is literally no parking anywhere. It's totally at home there, and definitely safer and more stable on cobblestone streets vs. a scooter.

[Submariner]

No windows so no AC    Yeah we rented a scooter too and my wife and I would explore the island by day by ICE scooter.  At night we didn't feel comfortable with the scooter so we used the Twizy.  $15/hr seems good but if you go out for the evening and come back 5 hrs later, that's $75.  For using it for one evening.  Not outrageous for an expensive island but not a good deal either. 

Good god.  That must be brutal in the sun.  Then again, several times I got caught in a sudden rainstorm, which seems to be a common event on the island.  Having a closed cabin would have been a blessing.

If you are staying on the souther portion of the island (near one of the big hotels and drive downtown), you can probably find some places to charge.  But if you're staying at an airbnb by say south road, you're stuck.

And yeah, the lights on those scooters at night were not very helpful lol.  I remember getting lost in the evening and having to drive about 10MPH home because the throw on the lights was so terrible!

[FoMoJo]

Looks like fun...

[CaminoRacer]

Last time I was in Key West (a decade+ ago) they had a bunch of new Gem electric "cars"/golf carts that looked like the perfect little island car. A quick google search shows they're still a thing and still for rent there.

[veeman]

But was it fun??

I saw a number of these in Rome, where there is literally no parking anywhere. It's totally at home there, and definitely safer and more stable on cobblestone streets vs. a scooter.

The novelty of them on a beautiful safe small island while on vacation was definitely fun 

I have no personal strong complaints but just trying to be somewhat objective, there's a lot to be desired by the ergonomic and driving experience and they're not really a good deal to rent at $15/hr.  You can pick up and drop off at your destination theoretically (thereby ending your billing charge) but realistically most people aren't going to drop off the vehicle at a charging station and then walk with their significant other a quarter or half mile dressed in your suit/evening dress to your destination.  Especially late at night. 

[veeman]

Good god.  That must be brutal in the sun.  Then again, several times I got caught in a sudden rainstorm, which seems to be a common event on the island.  Having a closed cabin would have been a blessing.

If you are staying on the souther portion of the island (near one of the big hotels and drive downtown), you can probably find some places to charge.  But if you're staying at an airbnb by say south road, you're stuck.

And yeah, the lights on those scooters at night were not very helpful lol.  I remember getting lost in the evening and having to drive about 10MPH home because the throw on the lights was so terrible!

Lack of air conditioning was definitely felt but traffic was light so I wasn't stuck still on the road.  When the car is moving and with no windows, it wasn't too hot.  Air conditioning would probably really suck electric range.  Mostly I can't understand why the seats were so hard, why there was no place to put my cell phone and use it for navigation, and why there was no good design thought about where to put one's left foot.  Lack of power steering I sorta understand but why does the car immediately move with gravity after taking one's foot off the brake?  I expect that with a manual transmission (which doesn't have hill start assist).  It was a real pain in the ass to do a 360 degree turn at the bottom of a hill and go back up (no power steering and figuring out I need to put my left foot on the brake while switching my right foot from the brake to the accelerator.) It's basically a covered electric golf cart.

I'm not an experienced scooter rider and have never driven a motorcycle.  I drove the scooter back and forth the length of the island with my wife during the day but my wife wouldn't let me drive her on the scooter at night.  Probably a good thing 

[AutobahnSHO]

It's just funny that golf carts would make more sense.

[Galaxy]

You can get windows for the Twizy as an option.

I think, if they make a Ver2, then it does need to be more weather proof. Then it would be a good alternative for a scooter. Keep in mind however that it dates back to 2011, so it is an ancient electric car.

[Laconian]

Yeah, these are like Ford Th!nks.

[cawimmer430]

There's one in my neighborhood. No windows. I always wonder how this "car" can just be parked outside exposed to the elements.

Apparently the car has quite the following in France and a few diehard owners here will even make the journey from Germany to attend the meets. The only issue is that in the real world that claimed 100 km range drops like a rock, especially when you're moving the car near its top speed of 80 km/h. So driving from say the eastern parts of Germany to a Twizy meet in France will take a few days.

[Submariner]

There's one in my neighborhood. No windows. I always wonder how this "car" can just be parked outside exposed to the elements.

Apparently the car has quite the following in France and a few diehard owners here will even make the journey from Germany to attend the meets. The only issue is that in the real world that claimed 100 km range drops like a rock, especially when you're moving the car near its top speed of 80 km/h. So driving from say the eastern parts of Germany to a Twizy meet in France will take a few days.

I imagine leaving it outside isn't much different than say, a bike or moped.

[cawimmer430]

Could be, but I would not trust leaving my theoretical Twizy (if I was insane enough to get one!) out like that where random dipshit people could come up with the crazy idea to vandalize and/or damage the interior.

[Laconian]

Could be, but I would not trust leaving my theoretical Twizy (if I was insane enough to get one!) out like that where random dipshit people could come up with the crazy idea to vandalize and/or damage the interior.

Welcome to convertible life!

[Soup DeVille]

Could be, but I would not trust leaving my theoretical Twizy (if I was insane enough to get one!) out like that where random dipshit people could come up with the crazy idea to vandalize and/or damage the interior.

Do random dipshit people often vandalize your exterior?

[AutobahnSHO]

I have not locked my Miata's doors since I bought it from Rich in 2019. One time I took it for service and they locked the driver door I was so dumbfounded and it was the first time I'd used the key LOL. They didn't lock the passenger side.

I keep the registration/insurance in the trunk, and I always manually lock the trunk so the center console doesn't open it.

[cawimmer430]

Do random dipshit people often vandalize your exterior?

Nope. Because I am fortunate enough to have a garage with an entrance/exit door which opens and closes quickly once a car enters/leaves. There's also a dummy video surveillance camera (does not work but scares potential wackos away). .

[Soup DeVille]

Nope. Because I am fortunate enough to have a garage with an entrance/exit door which opens and closes quickly once a car enters/leaves. There's also a dummy video surveillance camera (does not work but scares potential wackos away). .

Then why would you worry about the interior?

[cawimmer430]

Then why would you worry about the interior?

I don't have to. My car is parked in a safe spot.

But most city residents don't have a garage and park on the street - like the local Twizy owner in my neighborhood. And we have issues here of drunk youths roaming around at night throwing beer bottles against walls and these are the types of idiots who could get the crazy idea to vandalize a car, or whip our Mr. Schling and take a piss into the cabin of a Twizy with no side windows.

What's growing in popularity these days are these "pickup bicycles" with a flatbed in front. One of my neighbors has a neighbor who owns such a bicycle and who one morning discovered a large dump of human crap all over the flatbed.

[Morris Minor]

I don't have to. My car is parked in a safe spot.

But most city residents don't have a garage and park on the street - like the local Twizy owner in my neighborhood. And we have issues here of drunk youths roaming around at night throwing beer bottles against walls and these are the types of idiots who could get the crazy idea to vandalize a car, or whip our Mr. Schling and take a piss into the cabin of a Twizy with no side windows.

What's growing in popularity these days are these "pickup bicycles" with a flatbed in front. One of my neighbors has a neighbor who owns such a bicycle and who one morning discovered a large dump of human crap all over the flatbed.

It sounds like Germany's youth culture is very similar to that of their cousins in the UK. I hear stories like this the whole time from my family there.

[cawimmer430]

It sounds like Germany's youth culture is very similar to that of their cousins in the UK. I hear stories like this the whole time from my family there.

Pretty much. These youths here tend to be unemployed and living off the state, maybe even members of ANTIFA.