Renault will reveal a new concept car with an utterly low fuel consumption rate at the Paris Motor Show.
“In the case of EOLAB Concept, we pushed the design parameters to perfect the car’s styling and paid significant attention to detail in order to optimise aerodynamics and weight. With its sloping roof and breathtakingly slender rear end, the concept car’s true purpose is well masked: beneath its seductively designed shell, everything is geared towards frugality”, Renault said in its press kit. Would you be interested in the car’s styling when it comes to 1L/100km fuel consumption rate? Well, you should be. The engineers were able to achieve such overwhelming results due to the car’s low weight, the use of aerodynamic elements and adoption of new technology.
The concept car is fitted with a hybrid powertrain — Z.E.Hybrid — that comprises a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol-powered engine delivering 75 hp and a small electric motor. The capacity of the battery is 6.7 kWh, meaning it supports 60 km of electric range. The transmission has just three gear ratios and no clutch.
The body features steel, aluminium, magnesium and thermoplastics. The car weighs just 995 kg. EOLAB's ride height is variable. The front bumper is equipped with an active spoiler, which lowers by 10 cm when traveling over 70 km/h. At the same speed, flaps on the rear bumper open out by 6 cm to redirect air away from the car.
The concept car sits on 145-mm tyres with enhanced aerodynamic features.
The EOLAB will hit production somewhere in 2020, when the fuel prices get higher and fuel efficiency becomes an even more explicit issue.
