A different kind of hybrid

Renault Emblème: With hydrogen AND battery

Large batteries are expensive, but are rarely needed in everyday life. Renault therefore continues to believe that the fuel cell has a chance.

Renault is presenting the study of a family electric car with a fuel cell for vacation trips at the Paris Motor Show. The Emblème crossover concept is designed to run on electricity from its 40 kWh lithium-ion battery for everyday use. The relatively small storage unit should be good for several hundred kilometers of driving.

On longer journeys, a 30 kW hydrogen fuel cell provides an additional source of energy for the 160 kW/218 hp drive system; a total of 2.8 kilograms of the gas fits on board. This should enable distances of up to 1000 kilometers to be covered in one go with only short breaks - Renault expects two five-minute refueling breaks instead of longer charging stops. Provided the appropriate infrastructure is in place.

Renault has not provided any information on series production. So far, the French company has mainly relied on fuel cells for commercial vehicles; the technology is not yet available for passenger cars.

According to Renault, the design has been consistently focused on aerodynamics. The result is a drag coefficient of 0.25. The measures include two cameras integrated into the wheel arches instead of wing mirrors, windscreen wipers concealed under the hood and electric door handles integrated into the bodywork. Two louvers on the hood and two air vents in the bumper direct the airflow to the windscreen and behind the full-disc wheels. The flat underbody is complemented by an active diffuser.