The Auto Advisor Group: RENAULT SHOWS OFF ELECTRIC SYMBIOZ CONCEPT-FRANKFURT

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Renault Driverless Electric Symbioz Concept Merges Home and Car

Renault's Symbioz Concept made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and reflects how we might live our lives in the future.

What happens when automakers begin delivering their first driverless, connected and battery-powered vehicles in the coming decade? Such vehicles are expected to dramatically change not only the way we travel but many aspects of the way we live our lives more broadly – or so says Renault.

What seems clear is that tomorrow’s cars will bring significant change. They’re expected to be digitally connected to the outside world. Autonomous and fully driverless capabilities will become commonplace, if not ubiquitous — as will battery-based drivetrain technology.

Automakers are already beginning to explore how that will impact the very design of the vehicle. Fully electric models are already adapting skateboard-like platforms that mount their batteries, motors and other key drivetrain components below the floor. That will free up space normally devoted to the internal combustion system in use in today’s cars.

Taking away the steering wheel and other conventional controls could take things a step further, transforming the cabin into more of a living room than with traditional vehicles. Seats can be designed to swivel, for example, so those in the front and back can face one another. Tables could fold out or pop up, according to industry designers.

Those are some of the ideas the Renault Symbioz concept aims to explore.

“Already a car is more than just a way to get from one place to another. Full of technology, it’s becoming an interactive and personalized space that connects passengers to other cars, people and objects around them,” said Renault VP Thierry Bollore, during the concept vehicles Frankfurt preview. “Looking to 2030 we imagine new scenarios with more efficient energy use, connectivity and autonomous driving scenarios that will improve how we live and travel

Just 15 feet long, the Symbioz packs a lot of technology and functionality into a smaller space.

Measuring barely 15 feet, nose-to-tail, it nonetheless features a near full-size interior. With its swiveling seats, large video displays and the ability to tap into an owner’s videos, music and other cloud-based data, the Symbioz is intended to be just as connected as home, office or smartphone.

Symbioz picks up themes of other recent Renault concepts, such as the Trezor. Using lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, though the upper half is largely glass, providing a near panoramic view of the car’s surroundings.

While many owners might want to make a car like Symbioz part of their home, it does have the capability of operating driverlessly, the concept version motivated by twin motors, one for each rear wheel. Renault claims they make a combined 661 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque.

Power for the concept vehicle comes from a 72 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that can get up to an 80% recharge in 20 minutes using a Level 3 charger. We agree with RENAULT that states that specs could change dramatically over the next few years. That is likely to include the battery. A number of manufacturers and suppliers are working on next-gen solid state – or lithium-air – batteries that would sharply increase power density while lowering weight and making a pack much more compact. Toyota is broadly hinting it expects to have the new technology in production by 2021. We have in last few months seen press releases that much is being done to make batteries smaller, lighter, more powerful, and quick to charge. So much is coming down the road to allow improvement in driving range. In addition since so many car companies are grabbing for a piece of the electrification of vehicles volume of batteries sold should decrease prices.

With the current pack, Renault is targeting a range of 310 miles per charge – though the Symbioz would also connect to the household electric circuit, letting it reverse the flow of energy in the event of a blackout to keep the house powered up.

The Symbioz has three driving modes, and each “alters the interior accordingly,” RENAULT says.

“Classic mode mirrors the set-up of current cars, Dynamic mode transforms the driving characteristics and seat for a more hot hatch-like experience, while AD mode activates full autonomy – the steering wheel and pedals retract so the driver can do other things. In AD mode, three interior layouts – named Alone@home, Relax and French Kiss – change the positions of the seats for relaxation, interaction with other passengers or other non-driving activities.”

Renault says even though the Symboiz concept reflects their “mid-term vision,” and suggests something building upon its themes could make it to market by the middle of the coming decade. Other manufacturers are in agreement with many of the Symboiz plans for future development.

World Wide individuals and families feel that the automobile has become a second home.

Renault today took the wraps off SYMBIOZ, an integrated house and car that work together in harmony. SYMBIOZ extends the vision of autonomous, electric and connected cars to a time when vehicles fully interact with connected homes, cities, other vehicles and road infrastructure and become even more personal in the travel, energy and entertainment preferences of people who use them. The revelation of a concept car associated with a connected home is unprecedented at a motor show. SYMBIOZ demonstrates dynamic scenarios where the car is put to use in different places within and around the home and while travelling.

“The way we use our cars is changing. Already a car is more than just a way to get from one place to another. Full of technology, it’s becoming an interactive and personalized space that connects passengers to other cars, people and objects around them,” said Groupe Renault Executive Vice President and Chief Competitive Officer Thierry Bolloré. “Looking to 2030 we imagine new scenarios with more efficient energy use, connectivity and autonomous driving scenarios that will improve how we live and travel.”

The Renault SYMBIOZ concept is powered by all-electric motors in line with Renault’s intent to continue to pursue its Zero Emissions strategy. Renault, one of the European leaders in electric vehicles, developed SYMBIOZ to ensure the home and car share energy. Kilowatt-hours are distributed through a smart grid shared by the car and the home in an artificial intelligence environment that anticipates people’s needs. For example, it’s possible to program the system to use the power stored in the car batteries temporarily for the lights, screens and home appliances during peak times. If there is a blackout, this happens automatically and power sharing can be monitored and adjusted.

At the motor show, Renault showed the house and concept in static and dynamic modes. In the first scenario, SYMBIOZ drives into the house to become an additional, modular room in the form of a useful, mobile and connected space, parking inside and then outside the physical structure.

SYMBIOZ also shows Renault’s vision of the car as an extension of the home when travelling. Generous cabin space is attributed to SYMBIOZ’s rear-wheel drive configuration, with two electric motors located on the rear axle, and the batteries housed beneath the floor. The combination of the retracting dashboard, and pivoting front seats make it ideally suited to ‘Mind-off’ autonomous driving (¹). In this mode, drivers can easily relax and chat, read a book or enjoy total access to their personal digital world. Additional personalisation technology allows automatic detection of passengers, customized seat settings, music streaming, and entertainment options.

“After an initial series of concept cars based on Renault’s ‘Cycle of Life’ design strategy which sought to prefigure the styling of our upcoming models, our new concept cars set out to explore what mobility might resemble in the future,” said Renault SVP Corporate Design Laurens van den Acker. “No longer can we think of car design in isolation from the ecosystem surrounding us. Renault SYMBIOZ truly is a unique project that allowed us to work with planners, designers, engineers and architects. Our goal was to explore new boundaries in customer experience, technology, energy use and design harmony to form a completely new global experience.”

A real demo car based on Easy Life of SYMBIOZ –RENAULT says will be on the road soon

An electric, autonomous and connected demo vehicle that makes real many of the elements of SYMBIOZ will be available for testing later this year. This demo vehicle embodies the brand’s mid-term vision before 2023 and previews technology Renault customers may find in its production car range in the near future. This includes an evolved version of MULTI-SENSE technology, which adapts the ambiance and driving experience to customer mood in the Mégane, Scénic, Talisman and Espace in our current range. The demo car will also showcase features from the “EASY CONNECT”, new-generation mobility and connected services solutions, and it will preview the Renault Autonomous drive technology that will be progressively deployed in the range under the name “EASY DRIVE”.

The demo version of SYMBIOZ was made in partnership with technology and creative industry leaders in an Open Innovation approach:

LG is involved in the development of the human-machine interfaces.
Ubisoft is providing on board virtual reality experience for autonomous driving mode.
Devialet is developing a new user experience through advanced sound system.
Sanef is working on the way the car communicates with road network infrastructure.
TomTom is contributing its geo-positioning expertise.
IAV is providing autonomous driving engineering expertise.

RENAULT says more information about the SYMBIOZ demo car will be available later this year.

REPORTED BY

AUTO ADVISOR GROUP

BRUCE HUBBARD

BONNIE LYNCH

BRADLEY HUBBARD