Renault presents car with battery and h2 fuel cell
Following the Scenic Vision H2-Tech Concept in 2022, the Emblème goes one step further and, according to Renault, reduces CO2 equivalents by 90 per cent compared to an equivalent combustion engine vehicle. The family car is the result of a collaboration between Renault and Ampere.
The low carbon footprint is enabled not only by the use of a battery and hydrogen fuel cell but also by the use of “recycled materials with a low carbon footprint, natural materials, production processes relying entirely on renewable energy, the general implementation of re-used parts and circularity, etc.” The company said that the same approach has been taken with the car’s technical choices, including its powertrain.
The electric car is driven by a “dual power electric powertrain,” which involves a conventional rechargeable 40 kWh battery with NMC chemistry, which the company says is best for everyday local use – and a hydrogen fuel cell for longer journeys.
The PEM fuel cell system runs on “low-carbon” hydrogen stored in a 2.8 kg tank. The French automaker says this enables an additional range of 350 kilometres and a “maximum efficiency of around 60 per cent.”
The dual system, says Renault, enables the car to travel up to “1,000 kilometres as rapidly as a combustion engine model”. Presumably, this is referring to the faster refuelling times of a hydrogen fuel cell. This is, of course, assuming that there is an available hydrogen refuelling system for cars, which requires a different pressure than those for the more commonly used heavy-duty long haul vehicle segment most often using this technology.
The powertrain, which includes an electric motor, battery, fuel cell, and hydrogen tank, is housed in the rear wheel’s architecture.
Renault says Ampere will unveil the car “in full” at the end of October 2024.
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