Renault Cuts Second Shift for Twizy EV in Spain

MADRID – Is the Twizy EV destined to become the biggest disaster for Renault’s Valladolid, Spain, assembly plant since the Modus?

Perhaps.

The French auto maker has cancelled the second production shift for the model only four months after implementation, idling 80-100 workers.

Renault says the shift has served its purpose, having produced enough units to cover advance orders from European dealers, and output now can be lowered to an annual rate of 20,000 vehicles.

But analysts say the short run doesn’t justify the cost of training workers for the second shift.

From the beginning the Twizy was considered a model without a future by some observers, who saw the car’s quirky design as lacking widespread appeal.

With only two seats, one behind the other, and without windows (some aftermarket specialists already are offering a window system to cover this deficiency), the Twizy is closer to a mix of the BMW C1 and Piaggio MP3 scooter than Renault’s Fluenze EV.

Renault also has expressed disappointment over the lack of an EV-recharging network in Europe, recently announcing it will finance installation of 1,000 charging stations at selected locations.

Although Renault will stop production of the Modus mini-MPV in Valladolid, it plans to use that capacity for a new cross/utility model derived from the Captur concept unveiled in 2010 that will compete in the same segment as the Nissan Juke. Modus output was launched in 2008, but sales never reached targeted levels.