Renault unveils hydrogen-electric Emblème

• Renault Emblème concept car revealed
• Eco-friendly model has dual electric-hydrogen powertrain
• Could reduce CO2 emissions by 90% compared with petrol vehicle
• On display at Paris Motor Show

Renault has lifted the lid on a potentially ground-breaking new dual power concept car - the electric-hydrogen Emblème.

The sleek shooting brake, which marries elements of both an estate and coupe, is sure to wow onlookers when it goes on display at the Paris Motor Show from 14 to 20 October.

The aerodynamics, including a flat bottom and active diffuser, have been honed by the BWT Alpine F1 Team while it features rear-view cameras in the wheel arches and windscreen wipers concealed in the bonnet. There are also huge scoops in the doors that are Porsche Taycan-esque.

But besides how it looks, there’s something much more interesting going on under the exterior.

An electric motor generating power of 218 PS drives the rear wheels and there’s a conventional rechargeable 40 kWh battery, as you’d see in most EVs. Renault says the pure-EV set up is ‘sufficient for everyday use’ and has a range of ‘several hundred kilometres’.

But separate to the battery is an additional hydrogen fuel cell that runs on low-carbon hydrogen via a 2.8 kg tank.

That unique set-up means the Emblème can cover up to 621 miles without having to be recharged but with just two stops for hydrogen refuelling - at less than five minutes each time.

Renault explains: “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.”

With the Emblème, Renault is also on a mission to nullify CO2 emissions. The French manufacturer is focusing on decarbonisation across the entire life cycle of a vehicle, from the cradle to grave.

The Emblème makes use of recycled materials with a low carbon footprint while production processes rely entirely on renewable energy. The electric motor uses no rare earth materials. And the Emblème is also relatively lightweight at 1,750 kg, including batteries, which further boosts efficiency.

All of that means that when it comes to a life cycle analysis (LCA) - and factoring in everything from material extraction to transportation and maintenance - Renault reckons the Emblème could hit the 5 tonnes of CO2 eq mark - a measure of greenhouse gas emissions - from cradle to grave.

How does that compare to other cars?

Renault suggests its petrol-powered Captur generates around 49 tonnes of CO2 eq from cradle to grave - so the Emblème represents a whopping 90% reduction. 

Will the Renault Emblème make it to full production? Your guess is as good as ours as things stand.

But what the Emblème does do is signal the future of eco-friendly car manufacturing and it sees another major manufacturer hedging their hydrogen bets, following another recent commitment from BMW and Toyota.

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