Responding to the challenges of climate change and the conservation of resources, the automotive industry is engaged in a major transformation. Through Emblème, Renault is continuing the exploratory studies initiated with the Scenic Vision concept in 2022. Exploring the field of possibilities to the full, its aim is to create a working prototype of a family car –spacious, comfortable and high-tech – while taking decarbonisation to new levels.
No aspect of decarbonisation can be studied as an isolated issue. Any approach has to address the entire vehicle life cycle from cradle to grave in five key areas: eco-design, selection of resources, production, use and end of life.
Developed by Ampere, Renault Emblème is a demo car reflecting this approach. A vision of a low-carbon family car from start to finish, it emits 90% less greenhouse gases (CO2eq) over its entire life cycle than the 2019 baseline.
Every technical, technological and stylistic choice was dictated by stringent specifications, targeting new levels of low-carbon mobility. Renault Emblème explores intelligent, credible and viable combinations, particularly in terms of resources, materials, production, use and end-of-life recovery.
In this way, it achieves a 70% reduction in the carbon footprint for the production of all parts. At the same time, 50% of the materials used to build the car are recycled and virtually all the materials used are recyclable at the end of their service life. Engineers and designers worked together to find the best solutions in terms of aerodynamics and energy efficiency. The result is stunning: an elegant shooting brake, 4.80 metres long, with equal emphasis on styling, interior technology and its carbon footprint.
Renault Emblème is an invitation to travel with a cabin of contemporary, poetic design. Innovative technologies include a new wide openR panorama screen spanning the length of the dashboard.
The dual-energy electric powertrain under the rear floor is powered by electricity and hydrogen, an ideal combination for more low-carbon journeys over both short and long distances.
Renault Group is positioning itself as a key player in low-carbon mobility. Following the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, the Group adapted its strategy in order to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its activities and contribute to maintaining the global temperature increase well below 2°C.
Contributing to the goal of carbon neutrality, Renault Group is seeking to achieve net zero globally by 2050 and by 2040 for operations in Europe. This ambition is supported in particular by Ampere, the Group entity dedicated to intelligent electric vehicles. Renault Emblème is at the forefront of this revolution!
'The ambition of the Renault Emblème project was to achieve maximum decarbonisation by designing a car that is attractive, efficient, family-friendly, comfortable, high-tech and versatile in use. More than a concept car, it's a demo car on the road that's a pleasure to look at, to be in and to drive - a real invitation to travel!'
Fabrice Cambolive, CEO Renault Brand
A METHODOLOGY BASED ON VEHICLE LIFECYCLE 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. It is the international, multi-criterion tool used by Renault Group. One of its main uses is to calculate the global warming potential associated with greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) per vehicle. Renault Group calculates the actual consumption of its vehicles over 200,000 km and 15 years.
A Megane E-Tech electric, for example, emits 25 tonnes of CO2eq during its life cycle. This is practically half the amount of an equivalent model running on fossil fuels (50 tonnes of CO2eq in the case of a Captur with a petrol engine built in 2019). All-electric mobility, in other words, is more virtuous in terms of CO2eq emissions. On this basis, the total for the Emblème project is just 5 tonnes of CO2eq from cradle to grave. That's a reduction of almost 90%!
For Renault Emblème, this figure of 5 tonnes of CO2eq from cradle to grave is more than a promise. It has been calculated and audited by independent experts from IFPEN (Institut Français du Pétrole et des Energies Nouvelles).
The decarbonisation strategy pursued by Renault Group (= reducing GHG emissions = reducing our carbon footprint) takes account of the entire vehicle life cycle. Emissions in tonnes of CO2eq per vehicle are calculated using a proven methodology covering each stage in the cycle:
1. Supply of raw materials and parts
2. Manufacturing (plants)
3. Usage (when the car is on the road)
4. End of life (vehicle recycling/recyclability).
The levers of decarbonisation in each of these phases are:
1. Energy efficiency
2. Use of renewable energy
3. The circular economy
A GLOBAL APPROACH TO ECO-DESIGN
Achieving this figure of just 5 tonnes of CO2 eq from cradle to grave demanded an ultra-efficient eco-design approach by Ampere, starting with the first stroke of the designer's pencil and encompassing all the components of the vehicle. The quest for CO2 eq savings involved all stages of the process: from exterior design to the production of interior materials, through to powertrain development. Supported by modern, high-performance tools, project designers and engineers pushed the cursor to the limit in terms of innovation.
'Renault Emblème rises to the challenges of decarbonization. It concentrates the engineering and innovation solutions necessary for the cars designed and produced by Renault Group to aim for net zero carbon. It embodies decarbonized and resource-respectful mobility, conceived from design to end of life, in an ecosystemic and collective manner, with our partners and suppliers across the entire value chain. In addition to providing a preview of upcoming design silhouettes, it incorporates technologies developed by Ampère, which will be gradually introduced in the next generations of vehicles.'
Cléa Martinet, VP Sustainability, Renault Group
Weight and why it matters
A vehicle's weight impacts its emissions at several levels: when materials are extracted, in production and transport, during use (impact on energy consumption) and when the vehicle is recycled. To limit the weight of Renault Emblème to just 1,800 kilos, designers sought to shed every unnecessary kilo, while maintaining the quality of on-board features (comfort, safety, etc.).
A 70% reduction in the carbon footprint of parts production
Seven materials and components account for 90% of the car's carbon footprint: battery, steel, aluminium, polymers, electronic components, tyres, fuel cell and tank.
By involving a range of industrial partners in the eco-design process, Renault was able to optimise the choice and diversity of materials used for Renault Emblème from the outset. The list of partners included: AKWEL, Autoneum, ArcelorMittal, CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), Constellium, Dicastal, Forvia, Forvia / Hella, Michelin, OPmobility, STMicroelectronics, Valeo and Verkor.
Stringent specifications set out every detail of the vehicle's composition in order to achieve a 70% reduction in the carbon footprint of parts production: steel, aluminium, plastics, tyres, glass, electronics, etc.
A collaborative project involving the automotive ecosystem
More than twenty partners, all experts in their own fields, worked on the project with Renault and Ampere. Each one brought their own technology or know-how to the table as part of the drive to optimise decarbonisation, with no trade-off in value or quality. To achieve the highest possible level of decarbonisation, each partner implemented their own innovations at their own level in pursuit of the most appropriate energy efficiency solutions involving the use of low-carbon energy as part of a circular economy approach:
Door handles - AKWEL
The 'sensitive' door handles were designed under an eco-design approach. Extremely favorable for aerodynamics, their optimized design has reduced the overall weight of the finished part by 60%. The simplification of the mechanism has resulted in a reduction of 50 components, while still providing an opening activation response of 0.1 seconds.
The parts, made from a single material, contain 65% recycled content, contributing to an 88% reduction in carbon emissions.
AKWEL also designed the electric hood opening system for the front trunk 'Frunk'.
Body parts - ArcelorMittal
Using advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and press hardenable steels (PHS), ArcelorMittal reduced the weight of the steel required for the body-in-white by 8%, for greater energy efficiency and decarbonisation. The XCarb® Recycled and Renewably Produced steels in the B-pillar include a high level of circular content (minimum 75%) and are produced solely with renewable electricity, for a 69% reduction in CO₂eq. emissions. ArcelorMittal aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, through a combination of technologies that may include direct iron reduction, the use of natural gas and green hydrogen.
Single-material thermal and acoustic insulation - Autoneum
Autoneum designed 32 parts for Emblème with thermal and/or acoustic properties, both inside and outside the vehicle. They include the underbody fairing, floor mats, boot liners, acoustic parts, powertrain compartment absorbers and front storage. These parts were made from single-material polyester fibres, which are extremely light and easy to recycle. The production process made maximum use of renewable electricity and recycled off-cuts. Based on weight savings (25%), a high level of recycled content, a waste-free production process and the excellent recyclability of end-of-life materials, Autoneum was able to reduce the overall carbon footprint of its components by 70%.
Aluminium doors – Constellium
One key advantage of aluminium is that it can be recycled infinitely without losing any of its properties. Processing recycled aluminium for body panels requires just 5% of the energy needed to produce primary metal, while also emitting little CO2.eq.
To make the doors for Emblème, Constellium used primary aluminium, produced by electrolysis using low-carbon electricity, and recycled aluminium from the circular economy. This illustrates the long-term circularity potential of aluminium in cars.
Alloy wheels – Dicastal
The Renault Emblem rims have been designed with eco-design in mind, with a design close to the solid wheel, particularly conducive to aerodynamics. Thin and extremely light (wheel 16,5kg and addon 0,88kg), they are made from aluminium of 70% from the circular economy. Their manufacture emits just 195 kg of CO2eq.
Interior - Forvia
For the vehicle interior, particularly the dashboard, Forvia selected coverings based on recycled or natural materials (linen, pineapple), which also have the advantage of being carbon sinks, i.e. capable of storing CO₂.
The contact zones on the door panels and central console are upholstered in skins made from pineapple fibres, a lighter and more sustainable alternative to animal leather.
The dashboard is upholstered in linen made in Normandy (France). This innovative process adds structural properties to the aesthetic qualities of this material, while also eliminating waste.
For the door inserts and dashboard strip, the assembly process was optimised using innovative solutions requiring no welding or gluing, for easier recycling.
As part of a Shy Tech approach, the conventional controls are replaced with buttons concealed under the surface (window lifts, central screen), for a more durable minimalist design.
Headlights - Forvia Hella
The headlamps developed by Forvia Hella halve their lifecycle CO2eq emissions compared to conventional headlamps. To do this, they use fresnel lenses, which require 80% less material. Optimized design, the use of innovative injection processes, as well as the use of recycled and bio-sourced materials, contribute to half of the reduction in carbon footprint. The manufacture of the product in carbon-neutral factories from the end of 2025 will contribute up to 30%. Finally, the adaptive light intensity control reduces energy consumption by 60% in the city centre.
Tyres – Michelin
Tyres play a crucial role in low-carbon vehicle projects, since they account for around 20% of vehicle energy consumption. On its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show, Emblème was fitted with specially designed and optimised MICHELIN Primacy 215/45-R22 tyres. Optimised for aerodynamic performance, the tyres developed by Michelin push back the limits of rolling resistance still further. The Slimline has a rolling resistance of4.5 kg/T, with no trade-off on other aspects of performance, compared with 5.5 kg/T for conventional tyres. Based on LCA, this innovation will improve vehicle durability by 55% and reduce the carbon footprint of the tyres by over 40% by 2035.
Hydrogen tank - OP Mobility
To reduce the vehicle's weight and carbon footprint, the hydrogen tank is made from carbon fibre using low-carbon energy.
Electronic components - ST Microelectronics
Emblème uses ST's SiC technology for the traction inverter, to convert energy from the EV battery to drive the motor. SiC is an innovative technology that complements silicon in power electronics, essential for managing energy flows, autonomy, and vehicle charging. It is more robust than silicon for high-performance EVs and more environmentally friendly, as it reduces energy losses, handles higher power and voltage levels, and offers better energy and thermal performance. By 2030 ST aims to reduce CO2eq emissions of the traction inverter by &80% over its lifetime, compared to a 2018 Renault Megane. This reduction is based on ST's carbon neutrality roadmap, covering all direct and indirect emissions and product transportation, and achieving 100% renewable electricity sourcing by 2027. Innovative semiconductor designs will also cut CO2eq emissions in production and use phases.
Complete windscreen wiper system - Valeo
Valeo has developed an innovative wiper system comprising a brushless motor, Nanojet Aquablade™ wipers and 3D printed polymer parts, for a total reduction in CO2eq emissions around 60%. The Nanojet Aquablade™ is made from recycled materials and uses a technology with a larger number of spray holes along its blade, which is of a smaller diameter than the conventional AquaBlade™ achieving 60% reduction in CO2eq emissions. This design improves cleaning performance while requiring fewer cycles to maintain the same wiping quality. As a result, it uses less cleaning solution, and therefore works with a smaller, lighter tank.
3D printed polymer parts reduce CO2eq emissions by half. Finally, the brushless motor is lighter and more efficient, reducing CO2 eq emissions by 70%.
Electric battery - Verkor
Designed by Verkor, with a production projection towards 2035, the Renault Emblème electric battery displays a 72% reduction in carbon emissions compared to an equivalent traditional battery. This performance is achieved through optimized manufacturing processes, a factory powered by low-carbon electricity, local suppliers, and optimized recycling of waste and end-of-life batteries.
An innovative process for seat upholstery
Polyester is used not only in woven form for the seats but has also been thermoformed as a floor covering. All the colours of the fully recycled and recyclable woven polyester seen around the interior were created by weaving threads of just four different colours (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). Known as additive synthesis, this process eliminates the need for dyes, emits less CO2eq. emissions and can produce up to 62 shades of colour.
'With Emblème, we wanted to bring the automotive industry's ecosystem towards more sustainable mobility. This decarbonization laboratory is designed to operate without any compromise on all features such as comfort, safety, and connectivity. It is the result of an exploratory, horizontal, and collective approach. Between Renault Group and 20 partners, all experts in their fields, barrier-free innovation has enabled us to reach the ambitious decarbonization target set at the beginning of the project.'
Pascal Tribotté, Project Manager Renault Emblème
DECARBONISATION WITHOUT ALTERING FEATURES:
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY, RELIABLE, HIGH-TECH VOITURE À VIVRE
The ambition of the Renault Emblème project is to maximise decarbonisation with a car that is family-friendly, attractive, comfortable, high-tech and versatile. More than a concept car, it is a demo car that is a pleasure to look at, to sit in and to drive. A real invitation to take the wheel!
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 metres, and a coupé with a moderate height of 1.52 metres and flowing roofline. The shooting brake looks are showcased by the dichroic effect of the green bodywork, making the colour look different depending on the angle and the light.
With a length of 4.80 metres, the 556-litres boot and 74-litres front luggage compartment make for comfortable family journeys with passengers and luggage. It also symbolises Renault's stated ambition to continue innovating in the C segment and higher, in line with its value-based strategy.
Exploring new paths in design inspired by the iconic Renault logo, the light signature is intended to be both high-tech and easily identifiable.
Optimised aerodynamics, inspired by Formula 1
Renault Emblème symbolises a new holistic approach to vehicle design. The exterior design is sporty, elegant and exciting, with sensual curves and striking high-tech character lines, making it a highly 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 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 this collaboration with Renault and Ampere, engineers conducted iterative testing in the digital wind tunnel in order 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 had achieved excellence in air penetration, with a CdA of 0.60 and a Cd of 0.25. For savings in both time and CO2 eq.
To maintain the flow, Renault Emblème replaces the wing mirrors with two cameras integrated into the wheel arches, to minimise aerodynamic interference. The windscreen wipers are concealed under the bonnet, while the touch-sensitive door handles are recessed into the bodywork.
Emblème 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 flat underbody, inspired by Formula 1, is an active diffuser, which pivots 5 degrees up and down around a horizontal axis, tilting to the rear and downwards to balance the air flow over and under the vehicle to minimise drag.
• The 22-inch tall and narrow tyres have low rolling resistance.
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.
The colourful fabric covering 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 seem as real as the scenery 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, Emblème aspires to take us on a journey while also encouraging us to adopt a poetic view of the future, a reference to its brief as a 'vision of the future'.
Emblème is a real voiture à vivre. The rear bench seat has a reclining backrest, making it all the more comfortable for three passengers.
Set back in relation to the other seats, the middle seat offers its occupant a comfortable shoulder width and a panoramic view of the passenger compartment and the road. The central console at the front provides space for the passenger seated in the middle at the rear to stretch their legs out comfortably. When the side seats are not occupied, two armrests can be folded away from the backrests to further enhance the comfort of the middle passenger.
The unique immersive audio system of the Renault Emblème demo car comprises 14 loudspeakers conveying the full emotion of musical sound with a unique configuration designed by Jean-Michel Jarre. The mid-range speakers at the top of the door ensure that voices sound natural and that they are easy to understand. An exclusive subwoofer in the centre console provides punchy bass notes while grounding the sound. Finally, loudspeakers in the headrests bring the whole system together to deliver an enveloping effet.
To reduce the carbon footprint without sacrificing acoustic performance, all components were carefully designed and selected to reduce their number, weight and their greenhouse gas emissions.
A high-tech cabin
Renault Emblème embodies a vision of the future by Ampere, in which onboard technologies and innovation are required to be useful, practical and humanised. This is particularly true of the new cockpit facing the driver and passenger at the front.
The elegantly curved openR panorama screen stretches the entire length of the dashboard. The screen is of exceptional size –1.2 m long and 12 cm high (8K quality display with a 48-inch diagonal) – allowing it to deliver a unique multimedia experience, where the driver and passenger have access to information that is both shared and dedicated.
The multimedia system is particularly intuitive to use. It relies on a second touchscreen on the central console and a rotary dial backed up by steering wheel controls.
The onboard technology of Renault Emblème makes extensive use of digital and voice controls, requiring fewer components. Although technology is very much present, Renault Emblème adopts a Shy Tech approach, in which the styling is very much low key. The interior ambience is relaxed, inviting the driver to take the wheel. The central screen features a discreet matt film, while the buttons and touch-sensitive keys on the doors are housed under the textile. Everything is placed where passengers need it, where they would naturally expect to find things.
All the equipment is energy-efficient. For example, the screens include automatic deactivation of the LEDs in the black display areas and local dimming. This function contributes to decarbonisation in use.
Reflecting the same approach, Renault Emblème achieves an ideal balance between physical and digital controls, keeping the number of buttons to a minimum. Manual settings include a thumbwheel built into the interactive panel, which lights up only when the user stretches out a hand
DECARBONISATION IN USE
An all-electric powertrain combining versatility and low-carbon operation
As the lifecycle analysis shows, an electric car emits half the CO2 eq of a similar internal combustion car. For a more low-carbon mobility, the electric car is currently the most compelling solution.
Huge progress has been made in recent years on the energy density of the batteries used in all-electric cars, but this is still not enough to equal ICE vehicles in terms of range and journey time. For this reason, the engineers of Emblème also explored the possibilities offered by hydrogen. 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).
Combining a fuel cell with a battery is a way to reap the benefits of both technologies to deliver an increased range, with both sources having sufficient power to keep the vehicle on the road.
To cover the same mileage, the dual-energy electric powertrain of Renault Emblème uses a battery that is half the size of the long-range battery used in today's electric cars. This technological choice emits less CO2 eq.
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 cells in order to minimise charging times.
Renault Emblème is able to cover a distance of up to 1,000 km with no CO2eq emissions from the tailpipe, 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, each delivering a range of 350 km.
Renault Emblème relies on a wound-rotor electric motor – without rare earths – powered by a dual-energy system: a 40 kWh NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery housed under the floor, and a 30 kW PEMFC fuel cell running on low-carbon hydrogen from a 2.8 kg tank under the bonnet.
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.
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 includes a route planner to calculate the amount of power supplied by the fuel cell, in order to optimise battery use and even maintain the charge level.
Combining the qualities of electricity and hydrogen, the dual-energy system delivers all the benefits of electric driving (instant acceleration, silent running, no vibrations) as an attractive alternative to pure electric driving, albeit one that is exploratory for the moment.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AT NET ZERO CARBON SITES
Renault Emblème was designed in the same way as a production vehicle based on sustainable, local production.
A powertrain built in France
The powertrain of Renault Emblème is manufactured locally at the Ampere ElectriCity complex. The wound-rotor synchronous electric motor uses no rare earths and is manufactured by the Ampere plant in Cléon (France). The 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 CO2eq emissions by 62% by 2030. To reduce the CO₂e emissions of its factories, the Group is focusing primarily on recyclable energies and energy efficiency within its plants. 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 optimise 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 on 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.
For example, located in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, Ampere ElectriCity is a unique and compact ecosystem, with 75% of suppliers within a 300 km radius and 75% of potential customers less than 1,000 km away. This reduces costs and carbon footprint.
In Spain, energy supplier Iberdrola has been providing recyclable electricity for the Palencia and Valladolid plants since 2021.
END-OF-LIFE RECYCLABILITY
Looping the loop with recycled and recyclable materials
Renault Emblème includes at least 50% of materials that are post-consumer recycled, primarily from end-of-life vehicles, or post-industrial recycled, from production off-cuts, based on the expertise of our subsidiary The Future Is NEUTRAL, which specialises in the automotive circular economy.
Renault Emblème is over 90% recyclable, which means that its materials can be recovered at the end of its life in order to be fed back into the production cycle in the form of recycled materials. The Future Is NEUTRAL creates a virtuous loop in which nothing is lost and everything is transformed.
Photo credit: Renault posted on conceptcarz.com
