Renault will unveil a new concept car on May 19, showcasing a new approach to design and previewing plans for a new hydrogen powertrain.
The car was previewed earlier this year in Renault’s annual results presentation, and although details are scant on the ground, it clearly sports a series of new design cues – including new headlights. angular daylights, a heavily sculpted bonnet and a flush front end that resembles the image of the new Renault 5 city cars.
The concept has yet to be named, but visual similarities to the 5 suggest it could preview the similarly retro-styled Renault 4ever crossover, due for sale in 2025. It will also showcase circular economy ambitions of Renault by using recyclable materials throughout its construction. .
Company CEO Luca de Meo was keen to point out that this is more than just a design study. “When we create a concept, we want to turn it into real cars,” he said.
Powertrain details will be given at the reveal, but Renault’s use of the phrase “hydrogen engine” strongly implies the deployment of a modified gasoline engine running on hydrogen. The company currently uses hydrogen in commercial vehicles, but so far only in conventional fuel cell transmissions.
The technology is emerging as a potential way to reduce fleet emissions without incorporating expensive and heavy EV drivetrains, with Toyota and Yamaha among its most prominent proponents to date. The two Japanese firms recently unveiled a 5.0-liter V8 that has been converted to run on hydrogen.
The eventual production car could also be available with a purely electric powertrain. De Meo said the concept will feature “electricity, hydrogen…maybe other things.”
Notably, Renault has confirmed plans to go all-electric by 2030, suggesting that if it launches a hydrogen combustion engine in a production car, it will serve as a gateway to an all-electric vehicle.
Renault will unveil the concept at the ChangeNow climate conference in Paris. The brand will use the event to present the three central themes of de Meo’s business transformation strategy: safety, inclusion and the environment.
The “on-board technical innovations” suggest that the concept will also feature a new approach to interior design and equipment.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-14 13:24:08
