Renault has made big claims for its latest prototype, the EOLAB, which the French car manufacturer claims will deliver ultra-low fuel consumption of 1L per 100km, equivalent to 22g of CO2/km.
To achieve the low figure the designers focused their efforts on three main areas: minimising weight, refining aerodynamics and using ‘ZE Hybrid’ technology, a new initiative which permits zero emissions motoring during everyday use.
Conceived around a B-segment platform, the prototype incorporates around 100 new, realistic technological developments that are designed to be introduced gradually on upcoming Renault vehicles.
The EOLAB features materials such as magnesium and aluminium, which are very light and also much cheaper than titanium. Meanwhile, the notion of such a car being produced in large numbers within the next 10 years is very much within Renault’s plans.
* First up is the car’s shape, which has been designed to slice through air efficiently, while movable devices such as an active spoiler and lateral vanes perform the same way as ailerons. To further perfect EOLAB’s aerodynamic performance, it is fitted with particularly narrow, 145mm-wide tyres designed by Michelin. That’s 40mm narrower than the smallest tyres available for the Clio IV. In total, the designers introduced 11 new features to improve the aerodynamics of the car by 30%.
* Secondly, a weight saving programme brought the car’s mass down to just 400kg, thanks in particular to a multi-material body shell combining steel, aluminium and composites, as well as a magnesium roof that tips the scales at 4kg.
* Finally, ZE Hybrid technology, combines ultra-low fuel consumption with zero-emission mobility for journeys of less than 60km and at speeds of up to 120kph. In coming years, ZE Hybrid technology will become complementary to Renault’s zero-emission electric vehicle range.
The EOLAB forms part of the ‘fuel consumption of 2 litres/100km for all’ plan introduced within the framework of France’s so-called ‘new industrial plan’. In the course of the prototype’s design, Renault developed the technologies necessary for the introduction of a car with fuel consumption of just 2 litres/100km by 2020.
There is no word yet as to what the price will be and if the EOLAB will be released in Australia.
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