Renault Scenic Vision previews electric crossover with hydrogen range extender.
The Scenic is dead. Long live the Scenic.
Forget what you know about the Scenic because this is an entirely different approach to the long-running name. For starters, it’s no longer a minivan as Renault will be transforming the MPV into a crossover. Secondly, the gas engine is gone since this is an electric concept.
There’s more to it than that considering it also has a range extender, but not an ICE like on the BMW i3 Rex, Chevrolet Volt / Opel Ampera, or the Fisker Karma.
The edgy crossover’s unusual powertrain borrows the 215-horsepower electric motor of the Megane E-Tech from which it has also inherited the smaller 40-kWh battery.
It adds an underfloor-mounted 16-kW fuel cell into the mix that juices up the battery while on the go. Renault explains that by going down this road, it can install a battery that is twice as light while offering the same range.
The company with the diamond logo does estimate fuel cell has a future and a hydrogen vehicle will be able to cover as much as 500 miles (800 kilometers) by the end of the decade without stopping for a five-minute refill.
There’s more to the Scenic Vision than its peculiar powertrain and angular styling as Renault highlights its eco-friendly construction.
It incorporates more than 70 percent recycled materials while being 95-percent recyclable (including the battery) at the end of its life cycle. Compared to a traditional battery-powered EV, the concept has a 75 percent smaller carbon footprint.
What Has Renault Been Up To Lately?
The eco-focused construction is more than just marketing fluff as the fuel cell tank is manufactured from carbon fiber from recycled paper waste.
There’s no leather inside the futuristic cabin since Renault replaced it with recycled low carbon polyester. Nearly a third of the plastic used comes from a sustainable source, while the paint’s black pigments are the byproduct of processing particles captured in the atmosphere.
The “Scenic” will be on a hiatus until 2024 when the concept will morph into a production version. Renault just killed the five-seat minivan while the three-row Grand Scenic will bow out later this year.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
Renault Scenic Vision Previews Electric Crossover With Hydrogen Range Extender, May 18, 2022
