How did Renault adapt its industrial strategy to the transition to electric using E-Tech technologies?

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Renault is the only French manufacturer to have jumped into the world of electrification very early. A way of being present on the day of judgment of the European automobile empire, set for January 1, 2035, the date of the abolition of the thermal car. But how did the French manufacturer achieve its goal? This is what we are going to find out.

Europe and its desire to work for the climate have led to laws and guidelines that have completely called into question its industries, including its pillar: the automobile industry. A choice that was made, voted on and even confirmed again in March 2023: the year 2035 will sound the death knell for the thermal car in Europe. And this, despite a less than cheerful Germany. An industrial metamorphosis that promises to be complicated in such a short time frame. Manufacturers find themselves with their backs against a wall of electrons and one of them is equipped with a ladder. This ladder has a name, it is called E-Tech.

A new human arrival for a new industrial start

At the beginning of July 2020, Luca de Meo left Seat to take over at the helm of Renault. The French manufacturer was in a difficult situation, but Luca intended to remedy it. To do this, the Milanese genius had a clever plan: to use the manufacturer's know-how, history and audacity to embrace what would be the biggest technological breakthrough in cars.

This story is a mix of motorsport success, proven technologies and innovations. Because the first manufacturer to have democratized the electric car was Renault, with the ZOE. Democratized in the sense of making it affordable to the greatest number. A rich and trying adventure recounted in At the heart of the machine by David Twohig, who was in charge of the project. The ZOE, launched in March 2013, has sold more than 400,000 units.

Renault also has a nice track record as an F1 engine manufacturer, whose technologies have subsequently been integrated into production vehicles. Finally, the French manufacturer prefers to use its technologies rather than those of others.

All this will lead to the “Renaulution”, a marketing term that will give birth to E-Tech technologies. But what is E-Tech? How is it revolutionary?

E-Tech is a name that encompasses two distinct strategies: the first focuses on hybrid vehicles and the second on 100% electric vehicles.

E-Tech full hybrid: it's in old exhausts that we make efficient engines

More than 150 patents have been filed to result in a mix of known and dated solutions. Solutions which, by working together, bring something new: the E-Tech system. This system has three objectives:

Allow Renault to control the entire solution
Delivering excellent efficiency
Be economical
Be reliable

To do this, Renault dug into its bank of naturally aspirated engines. Starting with an old 4-cylinder 1.6 L Nissan 16V developing 91 hp at 5600 rpm on the Atkinson cycle. Since the naturally aspirated engine has little torque at low revs, Renault helped it with an electric motor. The idea is not to drive electric, but to take advantage of the instantaneous torque of the electric engine and then benefit from the best speed of the combustion engine. To control all this, Renault dug into an old 4-speed dog gearbox. For reasons of cost and reliability, Renault electrified its gearbox, removing the clutch and the gear change synchros, replacing them with a second electric motor.

The whole thing works together to provide just the right amount of power, while remaining reliable and fuel-efficient.

The system has evolved and in 2022, a new engine takes its place in the solution. A 1.2 L engine with a turbo. The battery is also enlarged and its voltage doubled for models requiring more power like the Austal. The number of gears increases to 7, including 2 electric for 5 mechanical. The system juggles between 15 modes to always have the best possible efficiency. The type of combustion cycles is modeled on that of F1, no less.

This E-Tech hybrid technology is a transitional technology. Renault announces 80% electric driving in the city. Which makes the efficiency on the highway impressive. Thus, the Espace and Austral proudly display consumption of 5.5L/100 km on average, with a lot of highway at 130 km/h. An average achieved over several thousand kilometers.

100% electric E-Tech: the real alternative to Tesla

Daring to use such a subtitle is not so simple. In 2024, this kind of hook has been seen and reviewed. However, it is indeed the case. With the Megane E-Tech, Renault has proven that an electric car does not need to have the dimensions of a limousine to become the main vehicle in the household. The Scenic has followed this path and will soon be joined by the Renault 5 E-Tech. Machines that remain easy to park in underground car parks, for example.

But that's not what explains the title. No, for that, you have to delve into the multimedia system. The strength of the American manufacturer has been to build its cars around computer architecture. The result is an efficient and fun car. The problem is that by betting on its computer system, it has forgotten some basic rules of the automobile (no proximity radar, level 2 autonomous driving that could be improved, no rain sensor, large blind spots, no 360° camera).

Renault has decided to follow this idea. To do this, the French manufacturer has bet on Android Automotive. The system is not only one of the most open in terms of applications (Coyote, Waze for example), but it also benefits from the amount of data collected by Google. Thus, the route planner has a colossal spectrum of charging points. It is obviously compatible with Apple Car Play.

But the French manufacturer also has its automotive expertise. Thus, the 100% electric Renault E-Tech cars remain automobiles that can be used like thermal cars, while benefiting from the advantages of such an engine (silence, ease of use, reliability).

It is not up to users to adapt to the vehicle, but the other way around. This is where Renault offers a credible alternative to Tesla.

It is not for nothing that 11 years after the innovation that was the ZOE, the Scenic won the car of the year award and that the Renault 5 E-Tech arouses so much desire. Proof that with the right choices, a car manufacturer can correctly negotiate the tightest industrial turns.