Being hosted in the capital city of France, the Paris Motor Show was bound to be filled with premieres from French manufacturers. Renault was no exception and, as promised, they brought out their EOLAB Concept on the showroom’s floor. Our live photos of it don’t really do it justice, you have to see this thing yourself.
The car is actually showing us in what direction Renault is heading until 2020. According to their own statements, the EOLAB showcases roughly 100 production-destined innovative bits that will migrate into all new models from here on out.
They explain that in order to achieve that number, the car is fitted with a hybrid powertrain using a 1-liter 3-cylinder SCe petrol engine making 75 HP and 95 Nm (70 lb-ft) of torque and an electric motor good for 67 HP and 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) of torque.
Of course, a battery is needed for that electric motor and Renault used a 6.7 kWh Li-Ion one offering a range of 60 km (37 miles) on the electric motor alone at speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). The internal combustion engine is going to work solely as a generator, juicing up the batteries when needed.
Weight reduction was also a key element of making this thing come true. Tipping the scale at just 955 kilos (2,105 lbs), the EOLAB is lighter by nearly half a ton than the Clio. That was achieved thanks to the French’s new TWIP and 2000HPF steel together with magnesium alloys, all new tech from Renault.
Furthermore, the most staggering weight-saving aspect of the EOLAB is represented by the FNL48 Compact brake calipers. Developed by Continental, these things are made from nodular iron and feature a one-piston design making them nearly half a kilo lighter than their regular counterparts.
The car can seat four and basically nearly double its weight due to its passengers. It’s not going to see production but it offers a clear view of what’s in store for us, coming from the French.
Engine claimed to sip just 1 liter of fuel for each 100 kilometers
We all know that Renaults are kings of efficiency. Ever since they launched the Megane 2 with that 1.5-liter dCi plants everyone dreamed of real-world fuel consumption like that but things are getting ridiculous now with the company claiming that this concept is capable of doing 235 US mpg (1 l/100 km).They explain that in order to achieve that number, the car is fitted with a hybrid powertrain using a 1-liter 3-cylinder SCe petrol engine making 75 HP and 95 Nm (70 lb-ft) of torque and an electric motor good for 67 HP and 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) of torque.
Of course, a battery is needed for that electric motor and Renault used a 6.7 kWh Li-Ion one offering a range of 60 km (37 miles) on the electric motor alone at speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). The internal combustion engine is going to work solely as a generator, juicing up the batteries when needed.
Everything has been taken into consideration
The tires have been adapted to the needs of this car and they feature 145 mm in width to cut through air as efficiently as possible. The drag coefficient (as you can tell by the car’s design) is rated at 0.235, extremely close to the world record at the moment, held by the CLA-Class.Weight reduction was also a key element of making this thing come true. Tipping the scale at just 955 kilos (2,105 lbs), the EOLAB is lighter by nearly half a ton than the Clio. That was achieved thanks to the French’s new TWIP and 2000HPF steel together with magnesium alloys, all new tech from Renault.
Furthermore, the most staggering weight-saving aspect of the EOLAB is represented by the FNL48 Compact brake calipers. Developed by Continental, these things are made from nodular iron and feature a one-piston design making them nearly half a kilo lighter than their regular counterparts.
The car can seat four and basically nearly double its weight due to its passengers. It’s not going to see production but it offers a clear view of what’s in store for us, coming from the French.