The iconic Renault returns as an EV
The Renault 5 E-Tech debuted in 2024 - a new retro EV inspired by the iconic Renault 5 of the '70s. Built on the AmpR Small platform (previously CMF-BEV).
The 52kWh 150hp version has a 52 kWh net battery, 150 hp of power and a WLTP range of 410 km. It's the biggest battery in the range - the alternatives have 40 kWh (300 km).
Starting price of around PLN 120,000 - the Renault 5 is one of the cheapest B-segment EVs on the market. The competition - Fiat 500e, MINI Cooper SE, Peugeot e-208.
In Poland, the BEV market is growing steadily - more than 30,000 new EVs were registered in 2024. The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp fits the trend of rising electric car sales. Customers choose this car for the prestige of the Renault brand, economical overnight charging and full access to the clean transport zones in Warsaw, Krakow and other Polish cities. It's a fully fledged BEV with no local emissions.
Why a fully electric car and not a hybrid? Because a BEV means zero refuelling, zero local emissions and zero fuel cost when you charge overnight on the G12 tariff. In the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp you do your daily commute quietly and without jolts. Plus you can drive into clean transport zones (Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw) without restrictions. For people who cover 30-60 km a day and head out on longer trips 2-3 times a year, the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp is a fully fledged BEV solution.
The showroom catch
The salesperson will show you the performance, the design and the infotainment screen. But ask about home charging and you'll get a vague answer: "an 11 or 22 kW wallbox". The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp charges on AC at 11 kW. A more powerful wallbox for this car is money down the drain. Let us explain why.
So what exactly is the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp?
Before we get into amps and kilowatts, we need to establish which box the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp falls into. The four drivetrain types on the European market in 2024-2025:
Before we get into amps and kilowatts, we need to establish which box the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp falls into. The four drivetrain types on the European market in 2024-2025:
MHEV (48 V mild hybrid) - weak assistance for the combustion engine, no EV mode. HEV (full hybrid, e.g. Toyota Prius) - a 1-2 kWh battery that only charges from braking. PHEV (plug-in hybrid, e.g. BMW 330e, Lexus RX 450h+) - a 12-25 kWh battery, real-world EV range of 50-90 km, Type 2 port. BEV - that's our Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp: a full EV, no petrol engine, 100% electric.
Renault's decision to go pure BEV in this segment was deliberate. CO2 rules in the European Union force zero fleet emissions by 2035, and customers increasingly choose charging locally over filling up at a station. Renault is investing in developing fully fledged BEVs - the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp is an example of that strategy.
HEV (classic hybrid)
You know this one from the popular Toyotas. The battery is tiny and can't be plugged into a socket. It only recharges under braking.
PHEV (e.g. BMW 330e)
Plug-in hybrid. A much bigger battery that you plug in like a smartphone in the garage. Real electric range for the daily commute and combustion range for a holiday in Croatia.
BEV (fully electric)
No exhaust, no petrol engine (e.g. BMW i4, Hyundai Ioniq 5). You rely 100% on the charging network.
Manufacturers today fall into two schools: those who build BEVs on a modernised combustion platform and those who use a dedicated BEV platform (e.g. Hyundai E-GMP, VW MEB, Mercedes EVA). Each strategy has its upsides: a modernised platform gives familiar handling and lower production costs, a dedicated one gives better efficiency and more room inside. The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp uses the optimal configuration for its segment.
The battery that is the heart of the Renault 5 E-Tech
The Renault 5 E-Tech pack is built with lithium-ion cells supplied by LG Energy Solution and Verkor (French factory). The manufacturer uses liquid cooling and BMS thermal management for maximum battery life.
Why is the capacity buffer so important? Because Li-ion cells age fastest when they're charged to 100% or discharged to 0%. Most manufacturers hide 5-10% of capacity at both ends of the scale. That gives 1,500-2,500 charge cycles without significant degradation. If you plug in every day, that's 7-10 years of running a 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp without losing significant capacity.
Check the production year of your 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp. The manufacturer regularly introduces improvements - better cells, heat pumps, thermal management software. Real-world measurements from owners of BEVs from 2020-2022 show 8-12% degradation after 5 years, while newer cars (2023+) are projected at 4-6% over the same period - a better BMS and modern cell chemistry.
52 kWh net battery - what does that mean in practice?
With real-world consumption of 16-22 kWh/100 km in city driving, the net battery capacity of the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp allows comfortable use in the combined cycle. WLTP gives a theoretical figure - in practice, range drops by 20-30% in winter (cabin heating draws 4-5 kW from the battery). The heat pump in newer versions reduces that drop.
Which charger do we recommend for the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp?
The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp has an 11 kW AC onboard charger. The portable Q11 has identical parameters to a fixed wallbox - a full charge in 6-8 hours, Type 2 cable.

Q11 Smart WiFi (11 kW)
Tuya app, consumption monitoring, G12 night tariff. 7.5 m Type 2 cable. Full 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp charge in 6-8 hours.

P11 LCD (11 kW)
Simple to use with no app, LCD display showing the parameters. Identical 11 kW power. Ideal for the garage and for trips away.
Drivetrain capabilities of the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp
The battery mounted under the floor of the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp preserves a practical boot and gives a low centre of gravity - key to driving dynamics. The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp makes use of this layout while keeping its interior versatile.
Under the floor of the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp sits a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor (PMSM) or an asynchronous one (in AWD versions). System power and torque deliver an instant response to the accelerator - a characteristic BEV trait that makes even the weaker variants feel "faster" than comparable combustion cars.
Renault 5 E-Tech telemetry
System power
150 hp
Torque
245 Nm
0-100 km/h
8.0 s
Top speed (electric)
150 km/h
The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp offers the standard driving modes: Comfort (default, balanced), Eco (energy saving) and Sport (maximum performance). Real-world energy consumption in the combined cycle: 16-20 kWh/100 km in summer, 22-26 kWh/100 km in winter (cabin heating draws as much as 5 kW from the battery). Intelligent regenerative braking feeds braking energy back into the battery.
Charging the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp. No more taboos
The manufacturer, Renault, deliberately limited the AC charging power of the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp to 11 kW. The logic: plug in in the evening, unplug in the morning - 6-8 hours is more than enough for most customers. Investing in a more powerful OBC (On-Board Charger) would raise the car's price by several thousand with no real gain in a typical usage scenario.
What is the onboard charger, or OBC (On-Board Charger)? It's a device built into the car that converts alternating current from the wall into direct current for the battery. In the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp it's a three-phase 16 A 400 V unit, 11 kW in total. CCS Combo 2 connector (the European standard). DC charging goes through the fast-charging port - at public stations at up to 150-250 kW (depending on the model version).
That's why the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp will accept a maximum of 11 kW of AC power.
Many customers ask whether the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp can be charged at a higher AC power from a home wallbox. The answer is no. The manufacturer, Renault, has never offered an OBC bigger than 11 kW for this model. It's a cost decision: a more powerful OBC adds EUR 400-600 to the price of the car, and with a typical battery the difference in charging time is an hour or two instead of the overnight window in which the car sits in the garage from evening to morning anyway.
Goal: full Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp battery (100%)
230 V household socket + factory portable charger supplied with the car
Standard socket, only 2.3 kW (10 A)
Three-phase CEE 16A socket + Ampere Point charger
Q11 or P11 delivers the full 11 kW from a three-phase socket
22 kW wallbox or CEE 32A
Expensive kit, but the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp will limit the power to 11 kW anyway
Let's pause at the most common sales myth. Dealers suggest that the fastest home charging is a fixed wallbox. That's a half-truth. A wallbox is simply a charger in a wall-mounted housing. From the point of view of the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp there's no difference between an 11 kW wallbox and an 11 kW portable charger plugged into a CEE socket. The charging parameters are identical. The portable charger has one advantage: you can take it to a hotel in Masuria, to your in-laws' summer house, on a road trip to Italy. The wallbox stays on the wall.
Now you know which charger you need
11 kW, Type 2, portable. No cutting into walls and no fixed wallbox costing several thousand zloty. Q11 with the WiFi app for PLN 1,599 or P11 with LCD from PLN 1,099 - the same 11 kW power and 6-8 hours to a full 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp battery.
Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp vs the competition in the small retro city BEV segment
The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp doesn't exist in a vacuum. The small retro city BEV segment is a head-to-head fight between several players. Let's see how our car stacks up against them.
Fiat 500e 42 kWh
118 hp, 42 kWh, 320 km WLTP. AC 11 kW + DC 85 kW. Price from PLN 130,000. A classic city BEV, less range than the Renault 5.
Renault 5 E-Tech 52 kWh
150 hp, 52 kWh, 410 km WLTP. AC 11 kW + DC 100 kW. Price from PLN 120,000. The best range in the city BEV segment, retro design, a bigger boot than the 500e.
MINI Cooper SE / Peugeot e-208
MINI SE: 184 hp, 54 kWh, 402 km. Peugeot e-208: 156 hp, 50 kWh, 362 km. MINI - BMW premium. Peugeot - French design, a similar price to the Renault.
When does the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp win? Brand character - handling, quality of finish, the Renault dealer network. Every manufacturer has its own DNA: BMW - sportiness, Mercedes - luxury, Volvo - safety, Hyundai/Kia - value for money, French brands - design. When does the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp lose? Here you need to weigh up the alternatives - range, DC charging, price. The best thing is to compare it with the competition in person, on a test drive at the dealership.
And how does it compare with more expensive models? Most brands have a BEV ladder: compact, mid-size, flagship. Each step up brings a higher price and more performance. The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp positions itself as the optimal choice in its segment - if you mostly cover short and medium distances, have a garage with charging and aren't afraid of public fast chargers on the road, this model will be a sound choice for years.
What do the testers say about the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp?
The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp has been through dozens of tests in Polish and European motoring media. The consensus is clear: good handling and performance for the segment, economical running. The weaker points usually remain motorway range (a 25-30% drop at 130 km/h) and DC charging at public stations (the curve drops off after a 50% charge). Below is a summary of the main findings from independent tests.
According to industry tests by the motoring press, the real-world range of the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp falls within 80-95% of the declared WLTP figure in the combined cycle. In summer, with gentle city driving, you can reach as much as 105% of WLTP, while in winter it drops to 70-80%. The winter drop has two causes: colder cell chemistry gives up less energy, and cabin heating draws as much as 4-5 kW from the battery. A heat pump (in newer versions) reduces that drop by 30-40 per cent.
Independent road tests highlight the handling: a low centre of gravity (battery under the floor) and a stiff body give the 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp better cornering stability than its conventional combustion counterparts. The car retains the characteristic Renault traits - handling, comfort, a quiet cabin. The downside of BEVs in their heavier versions (AWD, big battery) is weight - 2-2.5 tonnes is no sports car, despite the instant torque.
Industry analyses of the EV market indicate that the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp has a deliberately designed DC charging curve - the manufacturer balances speed against battery life. A customer charging overnight at 11 kW AC and occasionally at public DC chargers has every scenario covered - daily commutes and long-distance trips. Independent testers confirm this logic: a typical household gets 85-95% of its energy from overnight AC charging.
That's exactly how we see it at Ampere Point. A customer buying a Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp gets from the manufacturer a car deliberately designed for overnight 11 kW AC charging and occasional DC fast charging. Our Q11 and P11 portable chargers are a perfect match for that profile: the full 11 kW, a Type 2 cable, 6-8 hours to a full 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp battery. No fixed wallbox installation, no electrician, no cutting into the wall.
Two chargers ideal for the Renault 5 E-Tech
Both 11 kW. Both charge the Renault 5 E-Tech in 6-8 hours. Choose the version with Smart WiFi or the simpler, cheaper one.
Bottom line. Who the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp is for and which charger
The Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp is a choice for the informed customer looking for a BEV in the small retro city BEV segment. It's a perfect fit when: your daily commute stays within 100 km, you have access to a socket in the garage, and you plan your long trips around DC fast chargers. Charger recommendation: for regular overnight charging from a three-phase CEE 16A socket we recommend Q11 (with the WiFi app) or P11 (the budget alternative with LCD). Both charge the Renault 5 E-Tech to a full battery in 6-8 hours. A 22 kW wallbox bought for a Renault 5 E-Tech is money down the drain - the car will cap it at 11 kW.
"If you charge your Renault 5 E-Tech every night from a dedicated three-phase CEE 16A socket, you'll use the battery's full potential and cut your fuel costs by around 75% compared with a combustion car."
Editorial sources
(1) Renault Polska, official product sheet for the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp, 2024-2025
(2) Road tests of the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp - motoring trade press, 2023-2025
(3) Independent handling and dynamics tests of the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp
(4) Industry analyses of the EV market - the 11 kW AC charging curve in the premium BEV segment
(5) Ev-Database.org, technical data for the Renault 5 E-Tech 52kWh 150hp
(6) Ampere Point, EV Charging Speed Explained, company blog
(7) Ampere Point, EV and Hybrid Charging from A to Z, company blog
(8) Bundesnetzagentur, AC charger rollout statistics, 2020-2024
(9) ACEA, BEV sales statistics in the EU, 2024-2025
(10) IEA, Global EV Outlook 2024

