Renault kills off Mobilize Duo before UK debut
Renault has scrapped its Twizy successor the Mobilize Duo before even launching the electric city car in the UK.
The tiny two-seat “urban mobility solution” is among the victims of a restructure that has seen Renault ditch key parts of its Mobilize operations.
The Mobilize Duo passenger vehicle and the Bento cargo variant were revealed in 2023 as all-electric quadricycles to rival the Citroen Ami and Silence “nanocar”.
They were due to go on sale in the UK this year and as well as direct customer sales, they were to be offered through car sharing and subscription services as part of the Mobilize Beyond Automotive programme.
However, Renault has now stopped the entire Mobilize Beyond Automotive project, wrapping some elements into existing Renault services and scrapping others.
Mobilize Beyond Automotive was set up in 2021 to provide services outside Renault’s regular car and van operations. Its remit included urban mobility solutions such as the Duo/Bento, car subscription services, public charging infrastructure and payment systems, and financial services.
Renault said that some Mobilize Beyond Automotive activities were being discontinued “either because they have limited profitability prospects or because they do not directly serve the Group’s strategic priorities”.
That includes the Duo project and Mobilize’s Zity car-sharing service which currently operates in Madrid and Milan. The Milan operation will cease immediately, while the Madrid one will be phased out in 2026.
Other aspects of the Mobilize project will continue under the Renault umbrella, including its expanding fast charger network and the Mobilize Charge Pass scheme, which allows Renault drivers to access tens of thousands of public chargers around Europe using a single subscription.
Noting that Mobilize Beyond Automotive would cease to exist as a standalone entity, Renault said it had “fulfilled its role as an incubator and innovation driver by strengthening the Group’s expertise in new areas, identifying and developing high-potential opportunities, and discontinuing less relevant paths”.
