Mobilize Duo and Bento: return of the Twizy at the Paris Motor Show?

Mobilize unveiled the twin successors the Renault Twizy at the Paris Motor Show 2024. Are the Duo and Bento a real option for zero-emission urban mobility?

Unsurprisingly, it takes two vehicles to fill the gaping hole left by the discontinued Renault Twizy. Jokes aside, Mobilize — a Renault brand aiming to offer “safer, simpler, more eco-friendly” mobility solutions — made more impact than expected at the 2024 Paris Motor show with the reveal of the Duo and Bento. An impressive feat when you consider their competition included head-turning showcases of the Alpine Alpenglow Hy6 and Alfa’s new Stradale 33.

The Duo is a two-seated electric quadricycle set to go head-to-head with the Citroën Ami, while the Bento is its utility focused twin, and a relatively unique offering. Both are designed around urban mobility, whether carrying people or goods, and are underpinned by an ethos of sustainability.

Style and substance?

Visually: the Duo is a matte Twizy with its wheels tucked in, and the Bento is the same but with a grit bin strapped on the back — polarising to say the least.

That said, both models are futuristic yet inoffensive to look at. The smoothed-off angular shapes, low planted stances, and geometric pops of colour wouldn’t look out of place crawling across alien terrains to the sound of a Hans Zimmer soundtrack. And that has to count for something, right?

Aside from the basic silhouette, there is actually very little carry over from the Twizy. The twins do maintain their predecessor’s compact nature (ideal for urban traversal) with the Duo measuring in at just 2.43 m long and the Bento at 2.54 m. Building on their forebear's compact dimensions, are the small environmental footprints of the Duo and Bento. Both of Mobilize’s new offerings are constructed from over 40% recycled materials, and when they reach the end of the road, they will be 95% recyclable.

What’s on the inside?

Hop in through the butterfly-style doors — another useful space-saving feature when operating in crowded urban environments — and you’re confronted by a central driving position. From the driver’s seat, there’s more windscreen than is apparent from the outside, providing good visibility which further bodes well for tackling tight city streets.

There’s a slight safety warning-esque theme to the high-vis interior trim, so it makes sense that both models feature a driver airbag as standard, making them the first quadricycles to do so. 

Despite the industrial and stripped-back appearance, both are surprisingly comfortable. The driver’s seat is heated, there’s functional air-con, and the dash houses a 21^st century necessity: a phone holder with USB-C connector. Mobilize also states the wide stance allows for suspension which will offer ‘exceptional ride comfort’ — keeping you comfy no matter how potholed and speed-bumped UK streets become.

Now, the answer to the burning question: what’s in the box? Instead of the Duo’s rear seat, the Bento carries a 649-litre storage pod on its back, ‘equivalent to two city car boots’. This brings almost 1m³ of usable volume and was showcased with multiple configurations to suit various requirements: from a hollowed-out delivery space, to a shelved and hooked tool carrying setup.

How mobile are the Mobilize twins?

Based on an eye-test alone, the little EVs were always going to be nippy and agile; but what range do the Duo and Bento offer? The Duo boasts a range of 100 miles, while the utility-focused Bento can only muster 92 miles. Now, we’ve heard Rivian justify their ECV's 150-mile range with claims that the average last mile delivery shift falls within this distance — but a mere 92 miles feels as though it’s pushing the Bento’s logistical limits into uncomfortable territory.

These ranges are achieved using a 10.3 kwh battery — a single module pulled from the Renault 5 E-Tech’s pack — which can be charged using domestic or public chargers. Compounding our range concerns, the Duo takes a whole hour to drink up just 15 miles worth of juice, while 20-80% takes nearly four hours — not exactly screaming productivity. This can be slightly boosted to under 3.5 hours using a Type 2 socket, but we think overnight charging seems like the best option either way, and forgetting to plug-in would be a critical error.

In true zero-emission quadracycle style, the top speeds are also very limited. The Duo maxes out at 30 mph or 50 mph depending which variant you choose — which to be fair, is a decent margin faster than the Citroën Ami.

All versions can be had for under €12,000, so we’ll estimate a price tag of around £10,000 when the Mobilize twins land in the UK early next year. Will you be tempted to pick up one of these eco-friendly Twizy successors?

Hero image credit: Blackcircles.com