Renault group’s new mobility company, Mobilize, will launch a trio of bespoke electric vehicles in the coming years, aiming to create “a circular and comprehensive program to support the adoption of electric vehicles.”
The Mobilize brand was launched as part of Renault’s flagship transformation strategy “Renaulution”. It will provide electric transport solutions for urban environments, as well as the development of new car charging, subscription and financing systems.
Mobilize declared that its ambitions “extend beyond the automobile” and that it “seeks to promote an ecological transition through flexible, sustainable and user-oriented mobility and energy solutions”.
The first three Mobilize models are described as “tailor-made” and will not be linked to the Renault group’s mass production electric vehicles. They will also not be available for private sale, aiming instead to provide self-service and paid services.
The two-seater Duo leads the Mobilize lineup, having premiered earlier this year with the EZ1-Prototype concept. Intended to be built from 50% recycled materials – and to be 95% recyclable – it will be used for urban carsharing services.
The ultra-compact EZ1-Prototype draws obvious influence from Renault’s now-discontinued Urban Twizy EV, and while no technical details have been revealed, it is likely to offer a similar range of around 100 km.
The Duo will also spawn a one-seater ‘utility’ variant called Bento, which has a load capacity of 1,000 liters and is designed to provide delivery services to urban businesses.
The Hippo is the brand’s third model. Described as a “light all-electric utility vehicle”, it will sit on a modular platform and feature quick-change storage compartments that will allow it to be easily adapted to a variety of uses, including refrigerated containers and parcel bays.
With an equal focus on urban and rural environments, the Hippo is likely to have the longest electric vehicle range of the three models and will be considerably larger, given its 3,000-liter storage capacity.
In addition to the launch of a dedicated range of vehicles, Mobilize will seek to improve electrical infrastructure and energy storage facilities. It is involved in a “Smart Island” program to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, deploy new charging solutions and install new energy production facilities on the French island of Yeu.
It has also partnered with the German company Betteries to develop a new energy storage system made up of used electric vehicle batteries. With a maximum capacity of 9.2 kWh, the units would provide enough electricity per day for an average household and could be used as a power source in remote locations where a grid connection is not possible.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-16 09:14:38