France’s first major fire of the year brought under control

On a foggy road in Calvados, an old Twingo accelerates hard, but is quiet: a small Renault converted into an electric car, which Norman start-up Larmato promises for less than 200 euros a month.

In a hangar near Lisieux, a handful of employees have already converted four Twingos. The company has not only revitalized the engine: “All the elements have been replaced or renewed,” explains Larmato’s founder Sébastien Rollo.

Batteries take the place of the gearbox and tank which have become useless. The dashboard also goes black, as do the seats. Tired steering wheels are covered in leather.

In the original Twingo, only the bodywork and chassis remained. If they still work, so can the window regulators, headlights or air conditioning.

100 km range

Larmato wants to avoid going through the scrap box and create a local industry in this “retrofit.” “We cannot explain to people that we have to compost and that we throw away cars and spend energy to recycle them,” begins Sébastien Rollo.

This 53-year-old former computer scientist (and farmer) committed himself fully to the project in 2020. His idea is to rent an electric car for less than 200 euros per month over five years, contribution-free and maintenance-free. Added..

Across Europe, the needs are enormous and immediate: the establishment of low emission zones (ZFE) and the ban on new thermal cars in 2035 should encourage motorists to equip themselves with electric models.

But the cheapest new model, the Dacia Spring, costs at least 20,000 euros excluding subsidies and is made in China.

Rental offers at favorable prices are proliferating, and the second-hand electricity market is slowly growing. But a significant portion of the French are excluded from the electricity market.

“We want to make cars for the working poor”, who drive old cars, subjected to a “hell of breakdowns” and exploding fuel prices, Mr. Rollo explains. He wants to offer them an attractive, safe vehicle that showcases its electric virtue.

Its small battery provides a range of 100 kilometers, which will allow you to commute to work in the city or the countryside. For example, a tour of Lisieux-Caen before recharging at home.

The small Renault pushed itself when Lormato was looking for a widely distributed and healthy small car. According to AAAdata, more than 400,000 first-generation Twingos were still driving in France in 2022.

“The Twingo is very simple when you get into it. And there are no recalls, no faults”, or traces of corrosion in the bodywork, Mr. Rollo underlines.

The company prefers Twingos manufactured since 2000 to be equipped with braking assist and four airbags.

The end of 2023?

Lormato’s Twingo should arrive in September after a lengthy homologation phase.

The company hopes to produce its first models by the end of this year. More ambitious, it is targeting up to a thousand copies by 2024, and is interested in other major Renault models.

But this ramp-up is far from raising the necessary funds. The company is still looking for investors, but banks or companies are also willing to buy cars for rent.

Larmado has so far received loans and grants of up to 370,000 euros from the Normandy region and support of up to 300,000 euros from the Bank for Public Investment (BPI).

200 customers have already reserved a car for 200 euros, Larmato said. With subsidies, his offer could come within the framework of the car at 100 euros, which has been promised by Emmanuel Macron for 2024.

Manufacturer Renault, for its part, is selling its new electric Twingo for 25,000 euros. When he’s not running a start-up, he backs R-Fit, which is set to market a kit for converting a Twingo to electric in September for around 10,000 euros.

This article was published automatically. Sources: ats / awp / afp