With its yet-to-be-named concept, Renault wants to "change cars" for a more sustainable future. A new teaser released today ahead of a world premiere set for May 19 provides a peek inside the cabin. The French automaker with the diamond logo doesn't go into details, but at least we can spot a steering wheel. It appears to be wrapped around a lace-like material, which reminds us of an older Toyota Century with its lace curtains.
Anyway, the concept has a high-tech cabin with no fewer than four individual screens sitting front and center on the dashboard. The quad rectangles might serve as a visual link to the four-point headlights that were previously teased by Renault. The concept is 95 percent recyclable and has been manufactured using 70 percent recycled materials.
As previously announced, the concept will run on hydrogen. However, Toyota has demonstrated with GR Yaris and Corolla prototypes that a vehicle with a hydrogen tank isn't necessarily electric. Renault is following a similar path by installing a combustion engine modified to run on hydrogen.
It's too early to say whether this sort of technology has any future, especially since traditional hydrogen cars like the Mirai are not exactly popular and the infrastructure is still in its infancy. Some engineers and researchers are striving to save the good ol' combustion engine with synthetic fuels and hydrogen, but as it stands, the writing is on the wall for the ICE.
The concept car will be more than just a technology demonstration as it will pave the way for a new design language. Some have gone as far as to say it will serve as a preview for the return of the Renault 4, which has been confirmed to morph into an EV by the middle of the decade.
All will be revealed on May 19 when Renault will take the wraps off the concept at the 2022 ChangeNOW. To be organized at Grand Palais Ephémère and the Eiffel Tower, the event dedicated to making our world a better place will show the company's ambition to "change cars."
