Renault’s headline act for the 2014 Paris Motor Show is a radical supermini concept car, which contains more than 100 new technical innovations to cut fuel consumption. Called the EOLAB, it’s essentially a test bed for ideas Renault promises will make it into showroom-ready models before 2020.
Renault claims the EOLAB can achieve 282mpg (equivalent to the milestone of one litre of fuel per 100 kilometres) and emits only 22g/km of CO2. Like Peugeot’s rival project from 2013, the 208 FE Hybrid, the EOLAB uses three tactics to slash consumption: slippery aerodynamics, lightweight components and a hybrid drivetrain. Renault says the car can drive up to 60km (37 miles) at up to 120kph (75mph) on electric power alone.
Most striking about the EOLAB (its name is a nod to the Greek god of wind and the word ‘laboratory’) is its slippery shape. The Clio-sized five-door supermini uses typical drag-reducing measures like a wedgy silhouette, short tail and cameras instead of door mirrors, but there’s a suite of radical active aerodynamic features, too
Read more: AutoExpress
