« The CMF-EV platform advances the new generation of electric vehicles »
The MORPHOZ concept car has been designed based on the new CMF-EV platform. What’s special in particular about it?
The CMF-EV platform (“CMF” stands for Common Module Family and “EV” for Electric Vehicles) has been designed by the Alliance specifically for electric cars. We started from a clean slate! It responds to today’s development needs of new-generation electric vehicles. Energy management, capacity and overall onboard experience all benefit from the innovations it offers.
This platform was co-developed with our partner Nissan, by a team of French and Japanese engineers, so as to adhere to the expectations of both manufacturers and to be equally applicable to vehicles of both brands.
What is at stake in the development of such a platform in the automotive industry?
It’s generally said that a platform allows for the creation of two successive generations of vehicle, with all the intermediary developments that can occur. A new platform, therefore, contributes to the evolution of new models for at least a decade. What’s more, developing a platform with multiple applications ensures our competitiveness.
Our innovations on the CMF-EV platform confirm our position as leader from a technological point of view. The MORPHOZ concept car offers a foretaste of these innovations, which will inspire new generation electric vehicles.
One of the strengths of MORPHOZ is its modularity. Is this what we can expect from the new platform?
The CMF-EV platform redefines the limits of modularity like never before! For example, it allows for the installation of batteries of different heights. Using the CMF-EV platform, we can therefore develop both low sedans and SUVs.
The platform is of course also modular in its length so that we can further tailor the battery to the type of vehicle and the desired range. The CMF-EV can thus be used in both electric vehicles designed predominantly for everyday suburban trips, as well as for models capable of making long journeys without needing to recharge.
The MORPHOZ concept car pushes this characteristic to the extreme: it is able to change its length from City mode to Travel mode and back again.
Thanks to its technological innovations and the potential offered by its modularity, the CMF-EV will become the benchmark platform for several of the next electric vehicles from Groupe Renault and the Alliance.
Jean-Paul Drai, Engineering Director of Electric Vehicle Projects - Groupe Renault
Le fait de développer une plateforme « 100 % électrique » apporte-t-il des gains en matière d’autonomie et de temps de charge ?
Oui, la plateforme CMF-EV s’affranchit complètement des contraintes des véhicules thermiques. Par rapport à une plateforme traditionnelle, on gagne ainsi de la place au niveau du compartiment moteur, qui est réduit, la taille des pièces d’un moteur électrique étant plus compacte que sur les voitures à moteur diesel ou essence. On peut donc développer, à partir de là, des voitures électriques avec des batteries de taille plus importante.
Mais ce n’est pas la seule innovation à ce niveau : nous avons conçu, avec la plateforme, un système de gestion thermique de la batterie innovant. L’écart d’autonomie et de temps de charge entre les températures hivernales et estivales, que nous observions sur les générations précédentes de véhicules, est ici drastiquement réduit.
The modular layout of the interior is particularly apparent in MORPHOZ. Does the livable space inside the vehicles benefit from the specifications of the CMF-EV platform?
Compared to vehicles with similar lengths, capacity is maximized with this platform thanks to the compact size of the electric components and the absence of a transmission tunnel. A vehicle based on the CMF-EV platform benefits from a large wheelbase and, of course, a flat floor. This means we can have a more spacious front seating area, and more room for the legs in the back.
In this way, the platform allows us to develop a model with the capacity of a Talisman-type sedan… but with the dimensions of a Mégane! Or the capacity of a Mégane in a Captur-sized vehicle!
Does the platform leave the door open for eventual further improvements in driving comfort?
The modular nature of the CMF-EV platform allows for the installation of one or two electric motors in a car, and therefore the ability to develop both two- and four-wheel drive models. In addition, the platform is compatible with the self-driving systems developed by the Alliance.
So we can soon expect the series models developed on the CMF-EV platform to be added to the Renault and Nissan ranges?
Thanks to its technological innovations and the potential offered by its modularity, the CMF-EV will become the benchmark platform for several of the next electric vehicles from Groupe Renault and the Alliance.
After MORPHOZ, which illustrates its possible applications, the first series models using this platform will be added to our existing electric range.
Copyrights : Yannick Brossard, Renault Design, pagécran, Julien Oppenheim, Greg Jongerlinck
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