Renault plans plug-in hybrids for 2015
* Plug-in hybrid concept due next year * Production models will include Captur and Clio * New petrol-electric tech will beat 100mpg...
Renault is planning a range of plug-in hybrid models that promise to achieve more than 100mpg.
The French manufacturer will signal its shift to plug-in hybrids with the unveiling of a concept car in 2014, probably at the Paris motor show in October. This concept will be of Clio or Captur size and will deliver 141mpg, according to Renault engineers.
It will feature a lightweight body structure and excellent aerodynamics, as well as the new plug-in petrol hybrid drivetrain. The concept will also showcase an all-new fuel-saving, compact gearbox incorporating the hybrid’s electric drive motor.
This petrol plug-in hybrid drivetrain is likely to appear in the Captur SUV and Clio supermini first, sometime in 2015. A plug-in hybrid version of the larger Nissan Qashqai-rivalling SUV, also due in 2015, is a possibility too.
The development of these plug-in hybrid models represents a significant shift in Renault’s strategy – the company has previously relied on electric models alone to improve the CO2 emissions of its range.
