---
title: "2014 Renault Twizy Micro EV Mysteriously Pops Up for Sale in Los Angeles"
description: "Hold on a sec—how'd this end up in the States?"
date: "2020-01-01"
modified: "2020-01-01"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/31677/2014-renault-twizy-micro-ev-mysteriously-pops-up-for-sale-in-los-angeles"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "For Sale"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Electric Vehicle"
---

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

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/12/21204322_2018_Renault_Master_Z_E_tests_drive_and_electric_LCV_range_in_Lisboa.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

When we stumbled across a [Nissan S-Cargo](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31557/nissan-s-cargo-commercial-van-pops-up-for-sale-in-california-for-8995>) for sale in California, we thought we'd found the worst excuse for a van available in the United States. We were wrong. Somebody in Los Angeles has an even less-utilitarian utility vehicle—one that was never sold in this country, has no discernible reason for being here, and is hopelessly out of its depth on American roads. Somehow, somebody brought a Renault Twizy Cargo to California, and after going through all that trouble, they're now selling it for a stupefying $16,000.

![message-editor%2F1577819362249-21204323\_2018\_renault\_master\_z\_e\_tests\_drive\_and\_electric\_lcv\_range\_in\_lisboa.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1577819362249-21204323_2018_renault_master_z_e_tests_drive_and_electric_lcv_range_in_lisboa.jpg>)
*Renault Twizy Cargo, *Renault**

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](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27987/the-ultimate-electric-vehicle-glossary-every-term-you-need-to-know>) 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.

![message-editor%2F1577821136050-21204321\_2018\_renault\_master\_z\_e\_tests\_drive\_and\_electric\_lcv\_range\_in\_lisboa.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1577821136050-21204321_2018_renault_master_z_e_tests_drive_and_electric_lcv_range_in_lisboa.jpg>)
*Renault Twizy Cargo, *Renault**

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](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31517/high-tech-driving-aids-can-drivers-more-distracted-and-disengaged-study-says>).) That's what makes [this one](<https://web.archive.org/web/20191231194432/https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/d/lamar-renault-twizy-cargo-electric/7035385341.html>) 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.

https://youtube.com/embed/Ngp9mDVQ8N4

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](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/24786/youll-soon-be-able-to-rent-a-renault-twizy-thanks-to-lime-report>) 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.

*Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)