Meet Renault Embleme, a hydrogen coupe-SUV concept

Renault will be attending the Paris Motor Show next week with a mid-size crossover concept named the Embleme. It won’t go into production like this, but is said to be 90% safer for the nature than similar-sized SUVs and may donate some of its tech to production cars down the line.

In the same vein as most recent Renault releases, this one draws upon the French marque’s legacy for inspiration. Judging by the images, the design team found its inspiration in the 1990s this time around. Aside from a bold and muscular look, the car boasts a very low drag ratio of 0.25.

Coming in at 4.8 meters (187.5 inches) long with 2.9 meters (113.3 inches) of wheelbase, the SUV should be fairly roomy inside, Renault argues. There are no interior pics to prove this claim, though.

The powertrain is arguably the most interesting thing in the project. It revolves around a single electric motor rated at 218 PS (215 hp / 160 kW) and features a hybrid hydrogen/electric power system. A 40-kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery on board can be used for storing up power, while a 2.8-kilogram hydrogen tank can greatly extend range wherever hydrogen gas is available. The engineering team reckons that the Embleme can run 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) with just two five-minute refueling stops, bringing it close to ICE cars in this regard. With the battery empty and the gas tank full, it can still do at least 350 km (217 miles).

According to Renault, production of such cars can easily be arranged based on renewable energy sources and structural materials with low carbon footprint. If perfectly executed, this approach will allegedly reduce the total lifetime CO2 emissions of the car to 5 metric tons (around 11,000 lbs). Of course, it remains to be seen how much of this can be made viable on today’s market.