2014 Renault Twizy Micro EV Mysteriously Pops Up for Sale in Los Angeles

Let's back up for a moment here to explain exactly what a Renault Twizy is. Less an electric car than an enclosed quad bike (think an ATV sans the all-terrain part), the Twizy is a low-speed, short-range form of transport designed for use in dense urban areas. Its minuscule 6.1-kilowatt-hour battery gives it a range of about 50 miles if driven responsibly, and a top speed of 28 or 50 miles per hour depending on specification. Most Twizys feature one-plus-one seating, but Cargo variants trade the back seat for a parcel shelf, which might hold a single person's groceries for the week.

Twizys aren't sold in the United States for two obvious reasons: Renault hasn't sold cars here since 1987, and the Twizy doesn't make any sense on American roads (our cities are too spread-out, our roads too fast, and our drivers too easily distracted.) That's what makes this one such a mystery—how did it get here? Twizys are sold in Mexico and Canada, but driving one to L.A. from either region is a little tricky given its short range and low top speed. Even the 50-mph Twizys probably aren't highway-legal, so either someone took the scenic route or shipped their Twizy to the Golden State for reasons unfathomable.

Our guess is that this Twizy could be a former Lime rental vehicle, as the mobility service reportedly added a few of them to its car rental service a year back before discontinuing the program in September of this year. We've reached out to the seller to determine how they got their hands on a Twizy, but until we hear their story, the origins of this seemingly America-legal Twizy will remain a mystery.

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