Renault took the covers off of this extremely French concept car at the Paris Motor Show today, and it’s claiming the ideas behind this car will revolutionise ride sharing for upscale clients. The EZ-ULTIMO is the third in a trilogy of concepts—after the EZ-GO and EZ-PRO. It is billed as an autonomous, electric, connected, and shared mobility service solution. Renault thinks that this sleek and slinky mobile hipster bar will be deployable as an on-demand shuttle for the wealthy to use for a single trip, rent by the hour, or by the day. None of that will ever happen, but to Renault’s credit, this thing is strikingly beautiful.
The interior is designed around a personal lounge for relaxing or professional connectivity. Renault is calling the interior an Augmented Editorial Experience, combining premium entertainment, multi-media experience, and mobility. None of that really makes any sense. The interior does look like a cool place to hang out for a few hours.
“As consumer trends change and people are enjoying ride-hailing services more and more, a new paradigm for mobility will emerge. Embodying this revolution, EZ-ULTIMO offers a unique luxurious experience aboard a robo-vehicle that can be adapted depending on the service provider,” said Laurens van den Acker, SVP Corporate Design. “Inspired by contemporary architecture, and completely integrated in future smart cities, EZ-ULTIMO will provide an exclusive experience for all. With autonomous, electric and connected cars, we are entering a new exciting era in automotive design.”
While I know that this car, especially with level four autonomy, isn’t going to come to market; At least, not any time soon. That doesn’t mean this concept isn’t totally badass. Concept cars have not been this strikingly cool since the 1990s, and it’s nice to see a relatively mainstream manufacturer take a wild approach when it comes to automotive design. Both the exterior and interior of the EZ-ULTIMO are out-of-this-world wild, and that’s refreshing. The French work best when they think outside the box.
More than anything, though, this concept reminds me of the autonomous car from the movie Upgrade—which may have been the most underrated movie of 2018 so far, by the way.
I hope that this concept is a preview of future Renault design, because it would translate well to a large conventional sedan, I think. Especially an electric luxury barge.