Renault seems committed to the EVs and has announced big plans to expand its lineup - it calls these plans the Renaulution. However, following in the footsteps of automakers such as Toyota, Renault is also looking at other ways of cleaning up its act, and one of these ways could be to launch ICE vehicles that burn hydrogen instead of more traditional gasoline or diesel fuels.
We’re not completely sure that’s what Renault teased here, but the press materials clearly state the vehicle in the teaser has a “hydrogen engine,” and no mention is made of a fuel cell. In the automaker’s exact words, this is an
Unprecedented concept-car, with a hydrogen engine, embodies the decarbonization trajectory of the Group and the Renault brand as well as their progress in terms of circular economy, recycled and recyclable materials.
Renault had before today never mentioned any plan or intention to go into hydrogen combustion as a means of propulsion for its future cars. As is evident in the press release excerpt above, the manufacturer says this is better than burning fossil fuels and that it is a viable way for it to clean up its act.
The manufacturer doesn’t directly say what this concept’s arrival means - does it herald the arrival of a hydrogen combustion production model? Based purely on the wording in the press release, even though this is not even alluded to yet, we say that’s where Renault is going with this concept, but it’s currently testing the waters.
In terms of the way it looks, it’s definitely similar to the new fully-electric Megane, with the same kind of slim headlight clusters. The vehicle also appears to be a crossover, although we don’t see enough of the vehicle to state that definitively. It also appears to have cameras instead of mirrors, but we don’t know if this will make it into production, even though it has been legal in Europe for a few years now.
No word on when it will be officially unveiled, though, but it will probably be this year at a major motoring venue.
