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ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES

Alternative energies such as agrifuels, gas and flex-fuel have multiplied in the past few years. More ecological and economical, the combine increased environmental respect with affordability to the largest number of people. We review existing technology and future solutions.

A mosaic of alternative technologies 

With the rise in oil barrel prices and the need to reduce greenhouse gases and sound pollution, the use of alternative energies is more necessary than ever. Renault is committed to contributing to their developments.

LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) 

A blend of butane and propane, the LPG used as fuel can reduce pollutant gas emissions by up to 12%. Use of this “clean” fuel is encouraged by Europe and France through significant tax advantages – making it the cheapest fuel at the pump.


In France in 2008, more than 150,000 vehicles were equipped to run on LPG (sources: Wikipedia and French Butane and Propane Committee). LPG is available at more than 1 in 7 service stations in France, thus constituting one of the only ecological fossil fuels immediately accessible to private customers.

Agrifuels 

Engines running on agrifuels emit fewer greenhouse gases during their entire lifecycle. Produced from raw plant material, these fuels can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70% compared with 100% petrol use.


Derived from plants – and therefore renewable – agrifuels are ailed at reducing oil dependency. Ethanol is produced from sugar beet, sugarcane, wheat and corn and biodiesel from vegetable oil such as colza.


These highly economical vehicles are particularly widespread in regions where agrifuels are easy to produce, such as Brazil and Argentina. In Brazil, the land of sugarcane, cars run on pure ethanol or ethanol/petrol blends – a solution for reducing the country’s energy dependence and stabilizing the price of sugar, while minimizing the environmental impact of automobiles.


Agrifuels today account for 1.8% of all automotive fuels worldwide (source: Wikipedia).

 

New, flex-fuel have also made their appearance. These flexible units run equally well on bioethanol or petrol.

Develop new technologies 

The K9K engine (1.5l dCi)

Downsizing engines by reducing their capacity brings significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining performance. Alongside this solution, other technologies enable us to go even further in reducing the carbon footprint of cars (hybrid drivetrains, “stop and start” system, etc.)

 

New engines feature technologies that combine driving pleasure with reduced environmental impact. Fuel consumption is significantly lower. With the new dCi 110, Mégane Hatch consumes just 4.2l/100km, and with the new 2.0 Energy dCi 130 and 150, just 4.5l/100km: a reduction of around 10% for the first engine and 15% for the Energy engines (compared with the two preceding engine families). CO2 emissions are particularly low: 109g/km for Mégane Hatch equipped with the dCi 110, and 118g/km for the 2.0 Energy dCi 130 and 150, enabling them to claim the Renault eco2 signature.

 

This performance is made possible by the use of widely available technologies such as Stop & Start or a regenerative braking system. The Renault Stop & Start function featured on the 2.0 Energy dCi 130 and 2.0 Energy dCi 150 considerably reduces noise and fuel consumption. Urban driving is more relaxed and totally silent at red lights and in traffic jams. This is because the Energy engine cuts out automatically when the vehicle stops. It starts up again – quickly and smoothly – when you press the clutch pedal. Another simple and useful high-tech solution: the intelligent alternator. This function produces the electric energy required by the vehicle and recovers kinetic energy in deceleration/braking phases. An intelligent energy system that manages your fuel consumption and shows greater respect for the environment!

Electric vehicles, tomorrow’s solution for sustainable mobility 

Looking beyond these alternative solutions, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is focusing its efforts on a breakthrough solution: the mass marketing from 2011 of electric vehicles, producing zero emissions in use and accessible to the greatest number.

 

Electric vehicles are silent and easy to charge. They point to a revolution in the way we think about and use cars.