We are not sure what Renault has been putting in its Kool-Aid recently, but the automaker has stated that it will unveil a handful of unique collaborative projects with French start-ups at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, none of which seem to have anything to do with cars.
The five concepts will all be on display at this year’s European automotive event, which is set to be much smaller than previous instalments, perhaps explaining why Renault has decided to pack out its stand with an electric BMX and an eFoil board.
Among the unique collaborations is Reverso, an ultra-compact rigid-hull sailboat that can be disassembled for storage and transportation. Continuing the nautical theme is the very slick Searacer electric jet ski, which features a high density motor for rapid on-water performance, as well as a Plume electric foil board for gracefully cruising the waves.
The latter weighs less than 30kg and can reach speeds up of to 35kmh/h (22mph). According to Renault, it is "packed with five years of R&D and can run for 90 minutes on a single charge".
For pursuits on land, the French manufacturer has teamed up with Moonbike to create a unique electric snow scooter that can hit 40km/h (25mph) and runs for around three hours before it requires plugging in.
Finally, a collaboration with electric mobility enthusiast Olivier Le Quellec has resulted in a BMX that is powered 500W motor that its capable of propelling the bike to a frankly terrifying 45km/h (28mph) top speed.
All filler, no killer
Renault is claiming many of its whacky concepts are "world firsts", but that’s stretching things a little. Both the Searacer jet ski and Moonbike have been around for a number of years, with the latter offered for rental at a number of European ski resorts.
Similarly, the electric BMX was championed by Zooz several years ago and eFoils have been coveted by enthusiasts ever since Fliteboard, Takuma and more started selling them in the early 2020s.
Thankfully, Renault will do a little more than paint a few objects yellow when it takes the wraps off something genuinely new and exciting in the form of the Renault 5 E-Tech model, which looks to be the largest announcement by any recognized automotive brand at this year’s Geneva show.
A further sign, perhaps, that the traditional motor show is on its last legs.
