From old to new: E-cars with retro design
For friends of iconic vehicle designs, the electric trend is sobering: Many electric cars are not very exciting and are geared towards aerodynamic efficiency. Individuality and fun in timeless design? Nothing. But fortunately there are exceptions: because the aesthetics of some classic vehicles can also be found in electromobility. You can find out here which seven vehicle models with retro flair and modern electric drive you can drive.
The most important facts in brief
- Numerous manufacturers offer electric cars with retro design.
- styling elements and details from legendary classics are taken up.
- The offer ranges from the smallest car to the limited sports car.
Microlino: Swiss microcar for the city
It is perhaps the most unusual vehicle in the history of BMW: the Isetta, built from 1955 to 1962. Front door, small cabin for two people and motorcycle engine with initially 12 hp in the rear - the only 2.28-meter-long mobile was ready, which was to save BMW from bankruptcy. In the meantime, these electrified microvehicles are celebrating their comeback as ideal companions for everyday life in large cities. This also includes the Microlino from the Swiss company Micro Mobility Systems, which scores with the rounded retro design of the Isetta. Just like its Bavarian inspiration, the door of the Swiss city car swings open to the front. Just 2.52 meters long and 1.47 meters wide, the Microlino still offers enough space for two people and, with a 230-liter trunk, an astonishing amount of space for shopping.
The motor of the electric "Knutschkugel" – as the Isetta used to be christened – has an output of 12.5 kilowatts, which means that the Microlino reaches a maximum speed of 90 kilometres per hour – absolutely sufficient for tours in the city. And with an acceleration of 5.5 seconds from 0 to 50 km/h, you can swim in traffic without any problems. Depending on the battery size ordered – the buyer can choose between 5.5, 10.5 and 15 kWh – one charge is sufficient for 93 to 228 kilometres according to WLTP. The charging time from 0 to 80 percent is two to 5.5 hours, depending on the battery capacity.
The Microlino is now available from 19,490 euros, while the version limited to 45 km/h, which can be driven from the age of 16 with a class AM driver's license, is slightly cheaper. This so-called Lite variant is available from 17,990 euros. Used vehicles are somewhat cheaper: At mobile.de, they are available from about 17,000 euros. If you long for the original model, you will also find the BMW Isetta there from about 20,000 euros.
Elegend EL1: Electric car with Group B look
Exactly 40 years ago, Audi presented a model that became an absolute icon of the manufacturer with the four rings: the Sport quattro – developed as the basic model for the Group B rally car and, with 306 hp, the most powerful and expensive German production sports car at the time. Even the Porsche 911 Turbo was left behind in 1984. With its characteristic angular design with a long bonnet, short wheelbase, sloping roof and flared fenders, the Audi Sport quattro looked like no sports car before it – or after it. This legend is revived with the Elegend EL1 electrified. The manufacturer of the sports car is Elegend AG in Beilngries, Bavaria.
The key data make the Sport quattro homage an electric super sports car: 816 hp (600 kW) and all-wheel drive with an electric motor each on the front and rear axles accelerate the EL1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and up to a maximum of 300 km/h, according to the manufacturer. But with the electric sports car, you can not only drive fast, but also charge quickly: With up to 200 kW, the 80 kWh battery can draw new power thanks to the DC function. The manufacturer specifies a range of up to 400 kilometres according to WLTP. If you are sporty with the EL1, you will get much less far. However, with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.19 kilograms per hp, a 47/53 percent weight distribution and a carbon monocoque, the Elegend EL1 is well equipped for track days. In addition to impressive data, the electric super sports car also comes with an equally incredible price tag: 890,000 euros (excluding VAT) is expected to cost the electric reinterpretation of the Audi Sport quattro.
VW ID. Buzz: the electric Bulli
The ancestor of all Bullis, the VW T1, became an absolute cult vehicle and collector's item with its round headlights, its (optional) two-tone paint and the large VW symbol at the front. It was the car of the hippie movement in the 1960s and is still a role model for current and future Bullis and vans in terms of vehicle design at VW. Since the T1 from the 1950s, the Wolfsburg-based company has produced further generations of the popular commercial vehicle. At the end of 2022, VW also launched the ID. Buzz, an electric alternative that catapults the design of the T1 into the present.
The ID. Buzz is offered in various versions as a 5-, 6- and 7-seater with a short or long wheelbase (25 cm more) and as a "Cargo" van variant. With its 82 kWh battery, the "short one" achieves a range of up to 423 kilometres (WLTP). It is powered by an electric motor on the rear axle, which produces 204 hp (150 kW). The large ID Buzz, on the other hand, has an 85 kWh battery for more range and performance (286 hp/210 kW). The top model, the all-wheel-drive GTX, launched in the summer of 2024, will even be launched with 339 hp (250 kW). Impressive: it takes only 6.4 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h.
As befits a Bulli, the ID. Buzz offers plenty of space. Up to three rows of seats are possible. The trunk of the ID. Buzz with a short wheelbase holds 1,121 liters (2,205 liters with the rear seat folded down), and up to 2,469 liters for the extended e-Bulli. At mobile.de you can find used VW ID. Buzz from about 42,000 euros, VW offers new cars from just under 65,000 euros.
Fiat 500 Electric: one of the most popular electric cars in Europe
When you think of Italian small car design, the legendary Fiat 500 inevitably comes to mind. This was built from 1957 to 1975 and dominated the streetscape in the land of the Dolce Vita for a long time.In 2007, the "Cinquecento" was reissued in a modern form. Previously, Fiat had used the name, but now also revived the design. The current all-electric 500 has been available since 2020. It has not forgotten its roots: the 500 Electric is reminiscent of its original ancestor with round headlights, its window layout and its sloping rear. The Fiat is available as a sedan (as the manufacturer calls the hatchback variant), as a 3+1 (with half doors for the rear seats) and as a convertible.
The small electric car is powered by 95 hp (70 kW) or 118 hp (87 kW) via the front wheels. The weaker electric motor is powered by a 23.8 kWh battery, while the more powerful variant has a 42 kWh battery. Depending on the model, the 500 can thus cover up to 320 kilometres (WLTP). Those who need new energy for short distances can charge a range of 50 kilometres in five minutes thanks to fast charging with an output of up to 85 kW under optimal conditions, and the 500 Electric achieves 80 per cent charging capacity in around 35 minutes.
With a length of 3.63 meters, the Fiat is of course not a space miracle. The rear is therefore more suitable for children, the trunk volume of 185 liters is enough for shopping, and 550 liters are possible with the rear seat folded down. You can choose between different equipment variants for the Fiat 500. The Style, Tech and Comfort packages offer different orientations, depending on whether the look, technical gimmicks or more luxury are more important to you. Semi-autonomous driving is also possible as an option. Used, the iconic small electric car is available on mobile.de from around 15,000 euros.
Fiat Grande Panda: the rebirth of the "great box"
In addition to the 500 Electric, Fiat is waiting in the wings for another electric car with a retro design. With the Grande Panda, which will be presented in the summer of 2024, the Italians are building on the cult Fiat Panda, which was produced from 1980 to 2003 and was a million-seller bestseller. While the technology was simple and unspectacular, the unusual minimalist design in particular caused curious glances at the time. Angular, smooth and without window bulges, the Panda stood out from the small car mass. Fiat cleverly played off Giugiaro's angular styling in marketing and christened the Panda "the great box".
In the Grande Panda, the Centro Stile Fiat picks up on this design language again. Whether front, rear or silhouette: corners, edges and angles are available en masse, but curves are sought in vain. The three-dimensional Panda lettering on the lower door surfaces is also a tribute to the classic Fiat Panda 4x4. The five doors, on the other hand, are new, the original had only three.
Technically, the 3.99-meter-long Grande Panda is based on the Stellantis Group's smart car platform. Fiat has not yet announced any further technical details. Since the Italian shares the basis with the Citroën ë-C3, data and prices are likely to be based on the latter. The ë-C3 is available with a 113 hp electric motor from 23,300 euros. According to the manufacturer, the new Panda generation is expected to be launched in 2024.
Renault 5 E-Tech Electric: Number five is alive
Fans of French cars have been waiting for this for a long time: After 28 years, Renault is once again launching an R5. But unlike the model series from the 70s, 80s and 90s, the latest generation of the French small car is an electric car and no longer a combustion engine. Renault has not only revived the name of the classic, there are also numerous allusions to the old R5 in the design. Headlights, roofline or rear end – everywhere you can find references to the ancestors of the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric.
Sporty brother
If you are interested in a sporty variant of the Renault 5, you will find it in the Alpine A290. Based on the R5, the Renault subsidiary has developed the first electric hot hatch. 220 hp provide plenty of driving dynamics. At the expected start of sales at the beginning of 2025, there will be a Première Édition limited to 1,955 units.
Initially, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is only available with a 150 hp (110 kW) electric motor. Later, less powerful models with 120 hp and 95 hp will be added. The top speed of all electric R5s is throttled to 150 km/h. With a price of less than 25,000 euros, the prerequisites for the success of the latest R5 generation are in place.
Honda e: cuddly small electric car from Japan
With the Honda e, the Japanese manufacturer launched its first car with an electric drive. The rounded box shape of the small car and the round design of the headlights are reminiscent of the first Honda Civic from 1972.
The Honda e was offered with 136 hp (100 kW) and as an Advance variant with 154 hp (113 kW). The 35.5 kWh battery is identical in both models and lasts for 210 to 222 kilometres (WLTP) when fully charged and recharges to 100 per cent in just under 19 hours at the socket at home. On the DC fast charger, the charging process up to 80 percent takes just under half an hour. Unusual and also taking some getting used to: Instead of exterior mirrors, two cameras mounted on the doors provide a view to the rear, the images of which can be seen on two monitors on the left and right outside of the cockpit. The digital dashboard comprises a total of five displays. Most of the space is taken up by two 12.3-inch LCD touchscreens, which serve as displays for various apps and functions of the infotainment system. If the displays are not in use, colorful flowers or an aquarium can simply be displayed as a kind of screensaver.