In Australia, **Renault’s funky European electric vehicles (EVs) are still forbidden fruit for Australia as they do not comply with the same strict safety laws that have also impeded many other brands in recent years. ****
Despite beginning somewhat of an electric rejuvenation with the launch of the Scenic E-Tech, Renault Australia is still unable to introduce the brand’s smaller EVs – primarily the Renault 5 E-Tech hatch – as they don’t currently comply with an Australian Design Rule (ADR) regarding rear-seat child restraint anchorages.
Specifically, the Renault 5 (and likely the Renault 4 E-Tech) doesn’t comply with ADR 34/03 (Child Restraint Anchorages), which requires a top-tether anchorage point in each rear seating position fitted with a seatbelt.
This was confirmed to media at the Scenic’s local launch, with Renault Australia general manager Glen Sealey saying ‘The problem with this Renault 5 is compliance with ADRs. This is the child restrainment on the rear bench,’ .
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But it’s far from the first time a manufacturer has struggled with ADR 34/03, which was implemented on November 1, 2019 for all new vehicles and December 1, 2022 for every vehicle that is sold.
Most recently, the Deepal E07 ‘Multitruck’ was recalled due to the lack of a middle-seat anchor, while BYD was forced to pause deliveries of its Atto 3 EV in 2022 for the same reason. Honda also infamously launched its second-generation HR-V small SUV here as a four-seater instead of engineering an Australian-specific solution.
Additionally, Tesla launched its updated Model 3 sedan here despite it being non-compliant, and while it later paused sales to rectify the issue, Mr Sealey said the compliance costs for the Renault 5 would be prohibitive for the French brand to follow suit.
“Renault tends to do things properly and pretty well, and so compliance is thought of very seriously,” he said.
Renault 4 E-Tech
Just the rear bench is about three million euro (A$4),’ he said. 9 million) It is testing, so that’s right for the rear bench of a and ensured it takes double the force on that single tether point.
“It’s not a problem, it’s just meeting a standard. And there’s a compliance cost to the standard.”
Mr Sealey denied that such costs would kill an Australian business case for the Renault 5 E-Tech, but also noted that his brand doesn’t currently see the need to introduce additional EVs in Australia beyond the existing Megane E-Tech, Kangoo E-Tech, and Scenic E-Tech.
We never kill a case, we always leave the door open,” he said. But we’ve got three electric cars in a market that’s 1–1” . The electric, it does not require a fourth or – if no fifth — or sixth car is 2 million and less than 10 per cent [of sales share][update]. , ” and.
It’s not necessarily going to work in a market that’s fairly swamped today, when you have brought in an expensive car with high compliance costs. , ” and.
In fact, EVs were just 8 in the total of 8 s. In 2025, 3 per cent of the 1,241,037 cars sold were sold – up from 7 percent in a day. 2024 4 per cent share of in 20 24. In addition, Renault was only 4569 to the sales total for all of its products.
Today we’ve got Megane E-Tech, Scenic E–Tech and Kangoo E.Tech for our sit with Renault 5 today; that’s three models for a small brand where electrification today is sub-10 per cent in the marketplace. Mr Sealey said ‘We’re well covered so we’ve.
That market is evaluated,’ says. Then Renault 5 would be an easier proposition if electrification became 40 per cent tomorrow. Paraphrast.
Renault 5 Turbo 3E
The exception to European Renault EVs thwarted by ADR 34/03 is the wild Renault 5 Turbo 3E, which is available to order in Australia directly from the factory in Europe – albeit for more than $300,000. That exclusive electric performance hatch is in the clear, as it has no rear seats at all.
However, Mr Sealey says the Renault 5 E-Tech is a ‘great branding exercise’ for the French manufacturer as it was Europe’s best-selling subcompact EV in 2025 and one of the continent’S most popular e-vs overall.
Quite well-known, it’s believed that the car is winning many awards in Europe. That’s not the case, but there is a price to sell and that has been considered. He added that it’s time to work, ‘it’.
We do work for the [manufacturer] – any car we can get paid to be profitable – or it’s not worth doing. This is a job for the dealer network and in most cases it’s going to work for customer. But if you have [a manufacturer] offer and an dealer proposition that doesn’t work in the marketplace, don’T do it. ” , ‘I’m sure it is worth reading.
Renault 5 E-Tech
A number of brands have criticized the Australian Government in the past for imposing certain rules that differ from those abroad as well as their ADRs.
Mitsubishi has criticised several ADRs, including ADR 34/03, while Nissan cited this regulation as one of the reasons behind the delayed arrival of its Ariya electric SUV.
The Australian Government defended A review of ADRs in late 2024 on how ADMs could be harmonised with other markets and how the local homologation system would cut down costs and reduce time required to sell a car locally.
Despite public feedback submissions for the review closing on January 24, 2025, the findings have yet to be released.
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