Renault 5 Nearly Matched Its Official Range On A Mountain Road TripInsideEVs[email protected] (Andrei Nedelea)Wed, September 16, 2026 at 8:30 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleR5 EurochargeA mountain climb and a stretch of motorway gave the little EV a proper workout. Its energy consumption tells an encouraging story.The Renault 5 completed a 192-mile Romanian road trip that included a mountain climb and motorway driving.Its average efficiency of 4.9 miles per kWh implies 254 miles of full-charge range, nearly matching its WLTP rating.It needed no charging stop en route, showing that its usefulness extends beyond city driving.The Renault 5 is still one of my favorite electric vehicles, with its blend of good looks, a pleasant drive, and decent EV specs. And even though it has a relatively small battery and was envisioned mostly for city driving, yesterday it proved it's not out of its comfort zone on the open road.During the first day of the 2026 edition of Eurocharge by Schaffeler, the yearly EV road trip organized by Romania's Autocritica, a Renault 5 Roland Garros traveled from Pitești to Alba Iulia, covering 309 kilometers (192 miles) going over the Carpathian Mountains on one of the country's highest roads, the Transalpina.renault-5-1Photo by: AutocriticaAdvertisementAdvertisementThis was normal driving, with no significant effort put into hypermiling, yet its reported average electricity consumption was just 12.7 kWh/100 km. That is approximately 4.9 miles per kWh, and calculated based on its usable net battery capacity of 52 kWh (out of a total capacity of around 55 kWh), it gives the little Renault a theoretical range of 409 km (254 miles), which almost exactly matches the manufacturer's official WLTP rating for this vehicle.Now, because the car wasn't driven until its battery ran out, the estimate comes from dividing its usable battery capacity by its observed consumption, so it's theoretical. It is based on the car's observed real-world efficiency, and it is the result of driving mostly on national roads where the speed limit is 90 km/h (56 mph) and 18% highway driving at 130 km/h (80.7 mph), plus the climb on the Transalpina, which reaches 2,145 meters (7,037 feet) and the subsequent descent to lower altitudes.R5 EurochargeR5 EurochargeR5 EurochargeR5 EurochargeAdvertisementAdvertisementR5 EurochargeR5 EurochargeThe weather conditions were pretty mild, with sunny weather and temperatures between 10°C and 25°C (50°F–77°F). This is therefore not a prediction of winter range or sustained motorway performance, but what you can expect on a similar road trip.The result adds another dimension to a car whose appeal already extends beyond its retro styling. The tested version pairs its larger battery with a 148 hp motor, the same basic combination that helped make the Renault 5 such a convincing electric comeback. You can also get the R5 with a smaller 40 kWh battery rated at up to 315 km (196 miles), and there's a new smaller LFP battery on the way, with 36.5 kWh and up to 305 km (190 miles) of WLTP range.The takeaway is that a small EV doesn't have to be a second car you leave at home whenever there's a longer journey involved. The Renault completed a substantial drive across the mountains without needing a charging stop. That strengthens the case for EVs that prioritize efficiency over ever-larger batteries. An EV should use available energy well, and a city-friendly hatchback can cover more of your driving needs than you might expect.More On ThisI Took A Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV On A Roadtrip. It Made Gas Feel Financially IrresponsibleWhat It Really Costs To Road Trip Europe In An EVThe New Mercedes-Benz CLA Is Looking Like A Charging And Road-Tripping Beast2024 Chevy Blazer EV Owner Review At Six Months: A Mixed Bag