Here’s a glimpse of our motoring future – Renault’s EOLAB ultra fuel-efficient concept car.
With minimal weight, advanced aerodynamics and Renault’s ZE Hybrid engine technology, combined cycle fuel consumption is a staggering 1.0l/100kms and exhaust C02 emissions a mere 22g/km.
On zero emissions, pure electric power the Renault ECOLAB can cover up to 60kms at speeds up to 120km/h.
Renault says the ECOLAB is a rolling showcase of its environmental technologies – the B-segment vehicle incorporating around 100 new developments to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Of course this type of performance doesn’t come cheap – the 400kgs total weight delivered with a multi-material body of steel, aluminium and composites (the roof is made from magnesium but weighs only 4.0kgs).
Even the window glass is a light weight technology developed by Saint-Gobain.
However, the flip-side is the light weight did enable Renault engineers to specify smaller (hence lower-cost) versions of the engine, battery, wheels brakes etc.
