SHERIDAN, WYOMING – NOVEMBER 02, 2024 - Renault has unveiled Emblème, a demo car that showcases Ampere's technologies for decarbonization in the automotive industry. Emblème is a family vehicle that emits 90% less greenhouse gases (CO₂e) over its entire life cycle than an equivalent vehicle produced today.
Emblème is based on specifications implementing the principles of eco-design. It features a 70% reduction in the carbon footprint of its components, 50% recycled materials, and almost all of the materials used can be recycled at the end of their life.
The vehicle is powered by a dual-energy electric powertrain that uses electricity and hydrogen, an optimal combination for low-carbon driving over both short and long distances.
“Emblème embodies our ecosystem approach and the level of our ambition when it comes to building a sustainable future through technological innovation. It is proof that automotive is still driving progress... keeping emotion in the equation! It embodies the future Design Language of the Renault brand, what we call << La Nouvelle Vague>>. An average ICE car has a 50 tons footprint: for Emblème, it's 5 tons, cradle to grave. It's a masterpiece." - Luca de Meo, CEO Renault Group, CEO Ampere
Life Cycle Analysis
Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a scientific method used to quantify a vehicle's environmental impacts from cradle to grave. It factors in raw material extraction and component production, as well as vehicle assembly, transport, use, maintenance, and recycling.
Renault Group and Ampere support the proposal made by the French automotive industry to measure the impact of the entire vehicle life cycle.
Conserving Resources and Selecting Raw Materials
Raw materials extraction and parts manufacturing accounted for 15% of the carbon footprint of Renault Group ICE vehicles in 2020.
Emblème includes at least 50% of recycled materials and is over 90% recyclable.
Low-Carbon Battery
Ampere is seeking to develop low-carbon, sustainable batteries. Changes have been made across the value chain to conserve resources and reduce carbon emissions.
Innovation in Materials
The interiors of modern cars include a wide variety of materials, such as carpets, plastics, felt, and foam.
The ideal solution is to use just one type of material.
Polyester is used not only in woven form for the seats but has also been thermoformed as a floor covering in the Emblème. It is even found in the colored scraps of the upholstery, contributing to the welcoming interior ambience.
Clear Objectives for the Future
The target of Renault Group is to increase the recycled content of its vehicles to 33% by weight by 2030 and to achieve a 30% reduction in the CO2 emissions associated with procurement per vehicle by 2030. Concerning the production process, the targets for recycled materials are 55% for steel, 60% for glass, and 82% for flat aluminum by 2035.
Family-Friendly, Reliable, High-Tech Voiture à Vivre
The ambition of the Renault Emblème project was to maximize decarbonization with a car that is family-friendly, attractive, comfortable, high-tech, and versatile.
Elegant, Flowing Lines
Renault Emblème features a strongly curved profile. It is an elegant combination of an estate, with a wide wheelbase of 2.90 meters, and a coupé with a moderate height of 1.52 meters and a flowing roofline. The shooting brake looks are showcased by the dichroic effect of the green bodywork, making the color look different depending on the angle from which it is viewed.
High-Tech Cabin
Renault Emblème embodies Ampere's vision of the future where onboard technologies and innovation are required to be useful, concrete, and humanized.
The elegantly curved openR panorama screen stretches the entire length of the dashboard. Its size of 1.2 m long and 12 cm high (display in 8K quality on a 48-inch diagonal) offers an unprecedented multimedia experience which means that both driver and passenger can benefit from both shared and dedicated information.
Artificial Intelligence for Safe, Efficient Driving
The operating systems of Renault Emblème use artificial intelligence to make life easier for the driver while also contributing to energy efficiency and onboard safety.
Driving: Hyper-Versatility of Uses
Renault Emblème relies on a 160 kW wound-rotor electric motor - without rare earths - powered by dual-energy: 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 hood.
Onboard Ambience: An Invitation to Take the Wheel
The interior layout and design of Renault Emblème take passengers out of their everyday routine, inviting them on a journey that is both literal and figurative.
Global Approach to Eco-Design
To achieve 5 tonnes of CO₂e from cradle to grave, Renault Emblème 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.
Optimized Aerodynamics, Inspired by Formula 1
Renault Emblème symbolizes a new holistic approach to vehicle design.
Technology for Improved Aerodynamics
To avoid breaking the flow, the rearview mirrors of Renault Emblème are replaced by two cameras, tucked into the wheel arches to minimize aerodynamic interference.
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.
All-Electric Powertrain Combining Versatility and Low-Carbon Operation
For low-carbon mobility, the electric car is currently the best response.
Sustainable Production at Carbon-Neutral Sites
Renault Emblème was designed as a production vehicle based on sustainable, local production and assembled in low-carbon plants.
About Ampere
Ampere is the first European company specializing in electric vehicles and software. Part of Renault Group, Ampere designs, develops, manufactures and markets under the Renault brand full electric vehicles featuring cutting-edge software technology, accessible to all.