Renault EZ Ultimo-Electric Car
Renault has unveiled the EZ-Ultimo, its all-electric, self-driving luxury limousine concept designed for short journeys. The concept completes a trio of autonomous vehicles from the French carmaker showcasing it’s envision of the future. Unveiled recently at the Paris Motor Show, the EZ Ultimo is a robot-vehicle concept that’s autonomous, electric, connected, and comes with a shared mobility service solution. Equipped with level 4 autonomous driving technology, it can adapt to an urban environment, to the motorway or to a shuttle service on dedicated roads. The EZ-Ultimo has a 499-km range and features level-four autonomy, which allows a car to drive it in most scenarios. It seats up to three people and is 5.8m long, a similar length to Rolls-Royce’s Phantom.
Renault envisions its new concept car as a mobile “first-class lounge” that serves to extend a premium experience offered by an airline, hotel, or resort. So it’s directed less at high-net-worth individuals and more toward service providers to high-net-worth individuals.
It’s the third autonomous concept unveiled by Renault this year, with the firm aiming to show the variety of ways self-driving cars might be used by society. The six-seat EZ-Go, conceived as an urban vehicle for ride sharing, was displayed at the Geneva motor show in March 2018. The EZ-Pro focuses on ‘last mile’ deliveries but is also adaptable to other businesses. For example, it can be used as a catering van.
The EZ-Ultimo sits at the top of the family and “imagines unique, premium services accessible to anyone”. Rather than a ride-sharing vehicle that might carry 10 passengers, the EZ-Ultimo is intended for “private travel.” It has a sliding side door, with the glass section opening upwards, to allow easy entry and exit. The interior is designed like a lounge and is inspired by Renault’s pre-war models in celebration of its 120th anniversary. A large armchair and a deep two-person bench are covered in velvet; there is parquet flooring, too.
Light and sound are controlled by rotating knobs that appear from two consoles when required. There is permanent Wi-Fi, wireless charging pads for smartphones and an iPod style tablet for accessing the car’s services. Renault is currently testing with level-four autonomy on set loops in two locations in France.
By the end of the year, the public will be able to use the cars as part of the trial, albeit with a driver behind the wheel for safety reasons. Renault is aiming to offer such technology on production models by 2022.