Hyper versatility driving the Renault Emblème
Renault Embleme relies on a 160 kW wound-rotor electric motor – without rare earths – powered by dual-energy system. A 40 kWh NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery housed under the floor pan, and a 30 kW PEMFC fuel cell running on low-carbon hydrogen from a 2.8 kg tank located under the front hoo. Based on the AmpR Medium platform, the rear-wheel drive architecture hosts the various powertrain components (electric motor, battery, fuel cell and hydrogen tank) while maintaining a low centre of gravity and ideal weight distribution to promote performance and efficiency.
For day-to-day driving, the vehicle functions in the same way as a conventional electric car, with the battery charged by regenerative braking, photovoltaic cells on the roof or from a socket or charge point. It has a range of several hundred kilometres, more than enough for everyday journeys. 
For longer journeys, it will rely more on the hydrogen fuel cell in order to minimise charging times.
Renault Embleme is able to cover a distance of up to 1,000 km in the same time as an equivalent ICE vehicle. No electric charging is required, just two stops of less than five minutes for hydrogen refuelling, delivering a range of 350 km. On a typical journey between Paris and Marseille, 75% of the electricity consumed by the vehicle is produced by the fuel cell, with no emissions other than water.
The multimedia system also includes a route planner to calculate the amount of power supplied by the fuel cell, in order to optimize the use of the battery or even preserve its charge. Combining the qualities of hydrogen and electric, the dual-energy system delivers all the benefits of electric driving (instant acceleration, silent running, no vibrations). It takes the form of an attractive alternative to pure electric driving, albeit one that is entirely exploratory for the moment.
Onboard ambience: an invitation to take the wheel
The interior layout and design of Renault Embleme take passengers out of their everyday routine, inviting them on a journey that is both literal and figurative.
The colourful fabric seen on the dashboard, the top of the door panels and the top of the rear bench backrest forms a ring displaying scenes of nature and cityscapes. In a play of sharpness and blur, the car appears to be driving through these landscapes, which appear as real as the ones flashing past the windows outside. The poetry of the interior is also expressed through wording and texts.
The words “ouverture d’esprit” (open mind) can be seen on the door opening controls, and “voyage” (journey) on the straps of the map pockets, resembling rucksacks for hiking. For the designers who created this universe, the car aspires to take us on a journey while encouraging us to set our sights on the future, a reference to Embleme’s brief as a “vision of the future”.
A global approach to eco-design
To achieve 5 tonnes of CO2 e from cradle to grave, Renault Embleme is the result of an ultra-efficient eco-design approach carried out by Ampere on all of its elements since the designers’ first stroke of the pen. The quest for CO2 eq savings involved all stages of the process: from the exterior lines, to the production of interior materials, through to powertrain design. Aided by modern, high-performance tools, the project designers and engineers pushed the cursor to the limit in terms of innovation.
Optimised aerodynamics, inspired by Formula 1
Efficiency at the core of Renault’s new design language
Renault Embleme symbolises a new holistic approach to vehicle design.
The exterior is sporty, elegant and exciting, with sensual volumes and high-tech graphic character lines, making the car a desirable object. The design also reflects meticulous efforts to optimise vehicle aerodynamics. Along with weight, this is one of the key factors in the efficiency of an electric car.
The design of the body and of each component was dictated by the need to optimise air penetration and control aerodynamic flow. This objective was achieved with no trade-off in interior space. The drag coefficient was fine-tuned using digital twin technology and a state-of-the-art digital simulation system provided by the BWT Alpine F1 Team.
As part of their productive collaboration, Renault and Ampere engineers conducted iterative testing in the digital wind tunnel, making it possible to optimise passive and active aerodynamics in record time, without actually building a mock-up. Even before it came into existence physically, the entire car was seen to achieve excellence in air penetration, saving valuable time and CO2 eq.
Technology for improved aerodynamics
To avoid breaking the flow, the rearview mirrors of Renault Embleme are replaced by two cameras, tucked into the wheel arches to minimise aerodynamic interference. The windscreen wipers are hidden under the bonnet, while the sensitive e-latch door handles are recessed into the bodywork. Embleme was designed as an everyday car, so its active aerodynamic features are both low-key and efficient.
The fins at the base of the front bumper open and close as required to cool the mechanical components. Under the rear bumper of the Formula 1-inspired flat underbody is an active diffuser, which pivots 5 degrees up and down around a horizontal axis, extending and retracting to balance the air flows over and under the vehicle to minimise drag. The 22-inch tall and narrow tyres have low rolling resistance.
Weight and why it matters
A vehicle’s weight impacts its CO2 eq. emissions at several levels: when materials are extracted, for production and transport, during use (impact on energy consumption) and when the vehicle is recycled.
To minimise vehicle weight to just 1,800 kilos, the designers of Renault Embleme hunted down and eliminated every kg possible:
The hydrogen tank is made of carbon
The dual-energy electric powertrain – comprising a battery and fuel cell (see details below) – delivers a long range, with a battery that is almost half the weight* of the battery on an all-electric family car with a similar range The doors are 15 kilos lighter than the frameless models found on shooting brakes currently on the market. * The 40 kWh battery on Embleme weighs 291 kilos compared with 513 kilos for an 87 KwH battery.
An all electric powertrain combining versatility and low carbon operation
For low-carbon mobility, the electric car is currently the best response.
Huge progress has been made in recent years on the energy density of batteries for all-electric cars, but this is still not enough to compete with ICE vehicles in terms of range and journey time. While continuing its research into battery chemistry, Renault Group is therefore exploring the use of hydrogen to power electric motors. Odourless, colourless and non-corrosive, hydrogen is a gas that produces electricity when burned in a combustion engine or oxidised in a fuel cell, a process that releases only water. Proven solutions exist for storing and producing hydrogen, while charging time at a hydrogen pump is fast: one kilogram per minute (a figure set to increase in the future).
For many years, Renault Group has been conducting research into fuel cells. Combining a fuel cell with a battery reaps the benefits of both technologies to deliver an increased range, with both sources having a balanced power delivery sufficient to keep the vehicle on the road. HYVIA is making this technical set-up available on new Renault Master H2 Tech.
This solution is suitable for LCVs. As illustrated by Embleme, Renault Group considers that the dual-energy hydrogen-electric could be envisaged for passenger cars when, to meet the needs of road transport in the first instance, the network of hydrogen pumps is widely deployed on motorways.
Sustainable production at carbon neutral sites
Renault Embleme was designed as a production vehicle based on sustainable, local production, and assembled in low-carbon plants.
A powertrain buil in France
The powertrain of Embleme is manufactured locally at the ElectriCity complex. The wound rotor synchronous electric motor uses no rare earths and is manufactured by the Ampere plant in Cleon (France). The recyclable battery is produced with Verkor.
Last, the battery casing is made by the Ampere plant in Ruitz.
Towards carbon neutrality at production sites
Renault Group is seeking to reduce manufacturing-related CO2 emissions by 80% by 2030. Its goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 for manufacturing sites in Europe and by 2050 for all industrial facilities worldwide. To limit its CO2 emissions, the Group is focusing primarily on green energy and energy efficiency in production. In other words, to “consume less and better”.
In France, Renault Group is optimising the size of its plants and has implemented monitoring software to oversee its use of electricity, gas and water. In 2022, Renault Group set up a dedicated energy portal – Ecogy- as part of its industrial metaverse. This portal groups data for the use of electricity, gas, compressed air, water, etc. in a single interface. Based on the data collected, the system uses AI to optimise consumption and detect leaks and anomalies in real time. In Spain, energy supplier Iberdrola has been providing all-green electricity for the Palencia and Valladolid plants since 2021.
A strog local ecosystem around Ampere Electricity
ElectriCity is a unique and compact ecosystem, with 75% of suppliers within a 300km radius and 75% of potential customers within 1,000km.
This translates into a 40% reduction in logistics costs. In the following links, you can read the other articles about the presentation of Renault Embleme. Ampere demonstrates technologies for decarbonization with Renault Embleme[1]
Renault Embleme and the methodology based on the vehicle lifecycle analysis[2] The Renault Embleme, a family friendly realiable high-tech voiture a vivre[3] Hyper versatility driving the Renault Embleme[4]
Source: Renault Group
References
- ^ Ampere demonstrates technologies for decarbonization with Renault Embleme (www.electricmotornews.com)
- ^ Renault Embleme and the methodology based on the vehicle lifecycle analysis (www.electricmotornews.com)
- ^ The Renault Embleme, a family friendly realiable high-tech voiture a vivre (www.electricmotornews.com)
- ^ Hyper versatility driving the Renault Embleme (www.electricmotornews.com)