On the occasion of the VivaTech show, Renault presented its vision of shared mobility with two concepts of free electric transport, one based on a Renault Twizy, the other on a Zoe.
While Citroën took advantage of the Viva Technology show to expose its long-term vision with the astonishing 19_19, Renault came up with more immediate projects, focused on urban mobility. The diamond brand has unveiled the EZ-Pod, a small shuttle that it presents as ” an exploratory, electric and autonomous vehicle for short-distance on-demand trips. “
The EZ-Pod was designed based on a Renault Twizy chassis with a design directly inspired by the EZ-GO robot taxi we had discovered last year. With two places, it is thought to occupy a minimal footprint (3 m²). A self-navigating micro-mobility solution for small urban journeys that Renault does not hesitate to put alongside electric scooters and bicycles.
Autonomous and electric, the EZ-Pod can serve closed sites such as campuses, shopping centers, hotels … but also evolve downtown, in neighborhoods or subdivisions. Its low cruising speed will even allow it to circulate in pedestrian zones to get closer to the buildings and houses to facilitate the accessibility of the elderly or families. The EZ-Pod can also be declined in the shuttle of delivery.
Renault has also introduced another concept of autonomous, electric, and shared transport, this time based on a Renault Zoe. It is part of the Paris-Saclay Autonomous Lab project, inaugurated in mid-May at the initiative of the Renault Group, the Transdev Group, the IRT SystemX, the Vodacom Institute, and the Paris-Saclay University. The objective is to develop free transport on the Saclay plateau that will complement the existing services.
Renault Zoe transformed into an autonomous shuttle
Two services will be tested. The first is based on a Transdev-Lohr i-Cristal autonomous shuttle that will run at night (from 00:30 to 3:00 am) from the Massy station to serve four stops (Massy-Palaiseau, Palaiseau-Ville, The Valley, Camille Claudel). The aim is to propose a mobility solution that will take over existing services (train, RER, bus, bus) when they are not operational. The shuttle will take the public transit lane and the existing stops to seamlessly integrate into the network and provide seamless continuity to users.