Renault Group

AUTONOMOUS SHARED MOBILITY: FROM FICTION TO REALITY

16 May 2019
6 min
The spinner in Blade Runner, the taxi in The Fifth Element, the DeLorean in Back To The Future, dreams of flying and self-driving cars litter the last 30 years of cinema and pop culture. But in 2019 you probably won’t spot any cars in the air overhead. Why? Because the very nature of mobility has changed since Ridley Scott’s movie. Mobility today isn’t what we imagined in the 80s, even if the car of tomorrow will undoubtedly also take to the air. Today we talk about services, car-sharing, vehicle on demand and shared mobility. We’ll explain in three episodes.
by Renault Group

Episode I : 
the conquest of space

In 2050, according to the UN, the global population will reach 9.8 billion, and almost 70% will live in urban areas. As a direct result, solutions will be needed to continue driving and parking in cities. In this quest for space, without resorting to science-fiction cliché, shared mobility is emerging as a solution for the future. Hence the appearance of new services offered by the car industry, with Groupe Renault at the head.

Among these services, car-sharing looks increasingly attractive. More and more consumers are deciding to share rather than own, especially younger people living in urban or suburban areas. Groupe Renault has signed up to this sharing economy and is becoming a service provider in order to offer new urban mobility options. People no longer necessarily want to own a vehicle, but to access mobility to meet their needs. And nowadays they are accustomed to being surrounded by personal and on-demand services. A revolution in consumption patterns is opening up a new era.

Through its subsidiary Renault Mobility, with the acquisition of a ride-hailing service like Marcel and the creation of car-sharing services like ZITY in Madrid or Moov’In by Renault in Paris, Groupe Renault has become mobility’s star attraction.

ZITY : car-sharing service

Back to the future

Groupe Renault continues to innovate and the future of mobility is being decided right now. Its mission is to provide sustainable and effective mobility, to create a better future for the benefit of most people. This is part of the company DNA. For 121 years, to be exact… An approach that is driven by experimentation. Latest examples presented at Viva Tech:

  • the Renault EZ-FLEX, an experimental commercial vehicle intended as a true working tool for deliveries. Electric and smart, compact and agile, it has been designed and created for sustainable urban mobility and delivery efficiency in urban areas. It heralds a new collaborative, innovative and leading-edge approach to meet the new challenges in last-mile delivery.
  • the Renault EZ-POD, the micro-mobility star! 2 seats, level 4 autonomy, smart and 100% electric, the Renault EZ-POD stands out with its low footprint and its nimbleness. Designed for short trips and with an adaptable speed, the EZ-POD is a mobility add-on for everyone. As a self-learning test vehicle, it can carry goods and people in restricted areas like car parks and airports, and be used for on-demand services.
  • the Renault ZOE Cab always chooses the most direct route! This autonomous concept car will perform a point-to-point journey without following a pre-set route. And with a new side opening, it offers new accessibility.

ZOÉ CAB
EZ-POD
EZ-FLEX

EPISODE II : 
ROBO-VEHICLES, TOMORROW’S MAJOR PLAYERS

Our three concept cars: EZ-ULTIMO, EZ-GO et EZ-PRO

Fully autonomous (robot) vehicles as a means of transport? Even if the idea seems like pure science-fiction, such things are just around the corner, so the car industry needs to change its methods of production and practices. A responsibility that Groupe Renault, as a pioneer in new mobility, is fulfilling through innovation. Here’s the proof in pictures, with the three robo-vehicle concepts that it presented in 2018.

  • With a design partly inspired by certain images from Sofia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation , the EZ-GO concept car is a window on the city. Mission achieved with its wide glazed surfaces and futuristic look.
  • At the heart of technology, humans always set the pace. Offering maximum flexibility and a wide variety of uses to professionals, including last-mile delivery, the EZ-PRO creates the opportunities of tomorrow.
  • Whatever the destination, it’s the journey that counts. With the EZ-ULTIMO, premium mobility is en route.

VIVA TECH IN THE HEADLIGHTS

Autonomous vehicles, flying concept-cars, avant-garde design: the big Viva Tech innovation and technology show lives up to all its promises. A futuristic setting where Groupe Renault takes one of the main roles.

ENGINE, ACTION !

 

EPISODE III : 
MAN, MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE

Vehicles in real-world use (EZ-FLEX) or in development, such as ZOE Cab. Mobility platforms and customer apps like Marcel Cab, Moov’In by Renault, Zity and Karhoo. For single or group use, for short or longer journeys, these solutions embody the whole value chain of mobility which needs to be developed and which Groupe Renault is presenting at Viva Tech.

Innovation is at the core of all Groupe Renault initiatives.

The solutions, services, concepts and areas of exploration presented at Viva Tech reflect the ambition of Groupe Renault to develop new services in shared mobility, for everyone, through simple, attractive and personalised apps.

Beyond technological feats and ever more advanced innovations, there are the users. We have all, in our way, contributed to the transformation of mobility, with our changing needs. Our desires and our habits are what shape the services of the future. Groupe Renault has grasped this, which is why human beings are at the centre of its activities. The objective is to collaborate with each player in order to make mobility possible for everyone. An ambition made concrete through numerous partnerships and an open approach, which is essential if we are to go forwards together. And provide the opportunity to customize one’s journey. The ambition is to offer users an immersive experience enriched by editorialized and personalized content.

LAST ACTION… RENAULT !

Little by little, growing awareness has also produced new models of smarter cities. Smart cities to which Groupe Renault brings its contribution and for which it is al

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