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Renault’s EZ-PRO is a workspace, coffee truck and rolling post office
Renault, one of Europe's major automakers, is trying to help us imagine a world with fewer cars. Earlier this year, it unveiled the EZ-GO concept, a sort of anti-Uber autonomous ride-sharing vehicle for the masses. Now, it has taken the wraps off EZ-PRO, a last-mile autonomous electric delivery vehicle system that can double as a coffee truck, portable office and postal outlet on wheels. The EZ-GO was one of the most interesting concepts we've seen this year, so how does the EZ-PRO stack up? At the company's TechnoCentre near Paris, we get a closer look at Renault's multitasking, multipurpose self-driving solution.
Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi tap Google to power in-car systems
This week, the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance, the world's largest maker of cars, signed a deal with Alphabet's Google to be able to use Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Android OS in its vehicles. The new systems will debut starting in 2021.
VW and Renault promise electric car sharing services
Automaker-run EV sharing services are still novelties now, but they could be plentiful before long. Both Volkswagen and Renault have announced plans for electric car sharing services in a bid to promote "sustainable mobility." VW's We platform will offer on-demand EVs starting in Germany in 2019, and expanding to North America, Asia and other European cities "as early as" 2020. Renault, meanwhile, is prepping the gradual rollout of a similar service in Paris and the Ile-de-France region beginning in September 2018.
Car makers used software to raise spare parts prices
Ever had the nagging suspicion that your car's manufacturer was charging outrageous prices for parts simply because it could? Software might be to blame. Reuters has obtained documents from a lawsuit indicating that Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot, Renault and other automakers have been using Accenture software (Partneo) that recommended price increases for spare parts based on "perceived value." If a brand badge or other component looked expensive, Partneo would suggest raising the price up to a level that drivers would still be willing to pay. It would even distinguish parts based on whether or not there was "pricing supervision" over certain parts (say, from insurance companies or focused publications) to avoid sparking an outcry.
BMW, Ford and GM want to bring blockchain to your car
Seemingly every company is determined to hop on the blockchain bandwagon, and that includes automakers. BMW, Ford, GM, Renault and and a string of tech partners (including Bosch and IBM) have formed the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative, a group that hopes to use blockchain's distributed, decentralized ledger technology across many aspects of your experience, even when you're not driving. They hope to create standards that allow for secure payments for everything from autonomous car hailing to congestion charges to ridesharing.
French Renault Zoe owners can finally buy their batteries
Renault's all-electric Zoe has been very well-received in its home country of France, but the company's controversial battery-leasing scheme in the country has undoubtedly given potential buyers pause for thought. Either own the car and pay a monthly fee, or lease the whole car. The idea that Renault could snatch your battery away if you broke contract somehow didn't instil a huge amount of confidence. Yet the Zoe still became the most popular all-electric vehicle in France, and today the company has revealed that buyers will now have the option of owning the battery pack outright.
Renault’s EZ-GO electric car is ridesharing for the masses
Renault has managed to outdo the craziness of the Mercedes F 015 concept with its own driverless concept electric car, the EZ-GO. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, it's a Level 4 autonomous urban EV with a top speed of just 30MPH. Six passengers enter through the massive front door and can see everything (and be seen) thanks to huge swaths of glass on the sides and roof.
Renault's 'smart island' runs on wind power and recycled batteries
Renault has launched a "smart island" in Portugal that uses its Zoe electric vehicle, home batteries, smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2E) energy storage to run without fossil fuels. The idea is to make the Madeira island of Porto Santo energy independent and stimulate renewable energy production. "[We want] to build a model that can be carried over to other islands and cities," Renault Electric Vehicle Director Eric Feunteun told Engadget.
Touring France’s EV charging network in the Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe doesn't grab EV headlines like the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt and Tesla's Model 3, because it's not sold in the US. But with a 41kWh battery that can propel it 300 km, a €23,700 ($29,000) starting price and zippy performance, it's worth learning about the French-made car. I took it on a tour in and around Paris to check out not only the EV itself but France's entire charging network. Cars like the Zoe and the infrastructure are going to be crucial, because the city of Paris plans to ban gas-burning cars by 2030, with the rest of the country following suit by 2040.
Hyundai plans 38 EVs as it tries to catch up with rivals
Hyundai and its affiliate Kia have revealed ambitious plans to bring as many as 38 green cars to market in the next eight years, with seven models slated for launch in the next five. Most of them will be electric vehicles, senior vice president Lee Ki-sang told reporters last week, adding to the company's current green line-up of the Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Soul, several plug-in hybrids and the hydrogen-based fuel-cell ix35.
Renault's concept EV drove me at 80MPH while I wore a VR headset
I'm driving the multimillion-dollar Symbioz EV concept on a highway in France when Renault-Nissan Senior VP Ogi Redzik hands me an Oculus VR headset. "Put it on. Do you see an image yet?" he asks me. "Not yet. Ahh, yes, now I see it," I reply nervously. A minute ago I was on a real road, but now I'm rolling down a fake forested highway in a simulation created by Ubisoft. Meanwhile, Renault's Level 4 autonomous system has taken the piloting chores (with a professional, joystick-equipped driver backing it up in the passenger seat).
Renault's self-driving car can avoid obstacles like pro drivers
The Renault Group announced today that its autonomous vehicle control system can avoid obstacles just as well as professional test drivers. The company said that in designing the system, it was actually inspired by these drivers' abilities and used them as a sort of benchmark as to what level its technology should be performing.
Renault-Nissan bets its future on electric and hybrid cars
The Renault-Nissan alliance is no stranger to producing electric cars. Have heard of this little thing called the Leaf? However, its eco-friendly vehicles have tended to be odd ducks in the lineup. That's about to change: the Renault Group has unveiled a "Drive the Future" plan that will see the company field eight all-electric models and 12 hybrids by 2022. Simultaneously, it's trying to leave emissions scandals in the past by cutting its diesel range in half over the same period.
Nissan and Mitsubishi to launch 12 EVs and a 'robo' ride service
Renault-Nissan and Mitsubishi are joining forces to produce electric and hybrid cars and become "a global leader in ride-hailing services," they announced. The group, called Alliance 2022, will partner up on 12 electric cars and 40 vehicles with autonomous driving tech by, you guessed it, 2022. "With the emissions rules coming in, it's the end of gas," said Alliance 2022 CEO Carlos Ghosn in a statement. "Between now and 2040 there will be no more diesel and gasoline. This is absolutely a scenario."
Renault aims to make toll booths a breeze for autonomous cars
With autonomous vehicles at the top of car manufacturer's to-do lists, many are focusing on the basic technology required to get self-driving cars on the road -- and we've seen a number of partnerships formed as a result. Renault, however, is looking further ahead and has partnered with French road toll operator Sanef to develop technology that works with existing road infrastructure. Namely toll barriers, which Sanef, with 1,700km of road under its control, is famously zealous about. One of the overarching questions surrounding self-driving cars is what happens at barrier road crossings -- a simple obstacle for a regular car and driver but a massive challenge for autonomous vehicles in providing continuous eyes-off/hands-off travel. The two firms are therefore developing equipment which will allow toll road infrastructure to communicate with cars using short-range WiFi, enabling the vehicles to take appropriate action.
'WannaCry' ransomware evolves despite attempts to kill it
There were predictions that the fast-spreading "WannaCry " (aka "WannaCrypt") ransomware would quickly evolve to get around its domain-based kill switch, and, well... the predictions were right. Security researchers have discovered variants of the Windows malware that either have different kill switches (easy to stop by purchasing the web domain) or don't have a kill switch at all. MalwareTech's initial findings might have stopped the original WannaCry in its tracks, but that was really just a speed bump for malicious coders.
Emissions cheating scandal expands to France's Renault
The "Dieselgate" pollution scan that started with Volkswagen has expanded in Europe as French authorities are now investigating automaker Renault SA. Three judges will probe possible "cheating on pollution control checks ... with the consequence of making the [vehicles] dangerous to the health of people and animals," Le Figaro reports. That follows a preliminary investigation which concluded that some Renault models were emitting up to ten times the legal amounts of nitrogen oxide (NO2).
Uber rival Karhoo back from the dead thanks to Renault
Make no mistake, it's hard going up against Uber. Traditional taxi companies have been forced to evolve or die, while other startups like Hailo have found it difficult to compete the ride-hailing service's incredible growth. Karhoo, a price comparison service for hailing black cabs and the like, also found this out the hard way. Despite raising tens of millions of pounds and enjoying a splashy launch last May, the company quickly burned through its investment and closed in November as it looked "at the next steps for the business." Administrators got involved and employees suddenly found themselves without a job. However, two months later, Karhoo is making a return, thanks to the financial arm of French car giant Renault.
Renault recalls 15,000 vehicles following emissions raids
Groupe Renault is recalling 15,000 of its vehicles in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. French authorities publicly shone a light on the carmaker last week when fraud investigators swarmed multiple sites. Despite passing lab tests, it's said that the vehicles did not meet emissions standards in some real-world conditions.
Is Renault facing its own emissions scandal? (updated)
An AFP report, syndicated by The Telegraph, claims that Renault could be facing a Volkswagen-style emissions scandal of its very own. Representatives from the CGT Renault union are claiming that the French car maker's offices were raided by the nation's anti-fraud office last week. The suggestion is that authorities from the agency were interested in the engine control units that are fitted to certain cars. In addition, the personal computers of several directors were seized. Naturally, this news has had a disastrous effect on Renault's share price, with Bloomberg reporting that the potential scandal has caused a fall of 20 percent.
