- Renault’s next electric car will have a gas engine that functions as a generator to charge the battery.
- The range extender option will increase the range to more than 400 miles.
- Without the range extender, Renault is targeting a range of almost 470 miles.
Renault ally Nissan has been selling range extenders for a decade, but the French brand has so far avoided using combustion engines as generators to charge batteries. However, that is about to change. They are working on a new platform aimed at compact and mid-range models, designed primarily as an electric vehicle but with the help of a small engine to significantly increase overall range.
The RGEV Medium 2.0 electric platform requires an electric vehicle with a maximum electric range of 466 miles (750 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. An equivalent model equipped with a range extender is claimed to be able to travel up to 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) without refueling. Renault quotes emissions below 25 grams per 62 miles (100 kilometers), allowing the company to meet increasingly stringent regulations across Europe.
The platform’s modularity will allow for an expanded range across a variety of body styles, including sedans and SUVs. Interestingly, Renault even mentions a minivan, which may be a subtle hint that the people mover could return one day after the Espace is converted into an SUV. The R-Space Lab concept could potentially preview the return of the minivan.
Photo by: Renault
Future models built on the next-generation platform will also come in a 4×4 variant with a towing capacity of up to two metric tons. They all have something in common: ultra-fast charging thanks to the 800V electrical architecture. Renault says models arriving in Europe from 2028 will be able to significantly increase range in just 10 minutes of charging.
Ideally, companies want to cut development costs by up to 40 percent. Work is underway in France on products that will cover the C and D segments, which currently account for 30 percent of the brand’s sales. The newcomer is part of a “second wave of vehicles” that will also include next-generation hybrids.
For 2030, Renault has set ambitious targets. It wants all cars sold in Europe to be hybrids or EVs, and is targeting a fully electric product range in just four years.
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Source: Renault
Motorcycle Pickup1: While the BMW i3 has come and gone, the range extender is starting to gain traction in Europe. Apart from Nissan, Renault’s rival, Volkswagen, is also studying the technology which is becoming increasingly popular in China. Meanwhile, VW’s Scout brand will sell the Terra truck and Traveler SUV with an optional range extender in the United States.
It remains to be seen whether customers will accept the added layer of complexity to overcome range anxiety. With improved batteries and hybrids getting better, some argue that range extenders are no longer necessary. However, charging infrastructure is still not evenly developed, making long journeys difficult to plan in some regions of the world. Electric vehicles with gas engines that charge the battery could be a solid alternative to plug-in hybrids.
