At the Frankfurt Motorshow, Renault showed off the Symbioz, an integrated house and car that work together in harmony. Symbioz extends the vision of autonomous, electric and connected cars to a time when vehicles fully interact with connected homes, cities, other vehicles and road infrastructure and become even more personal in the travel, energy and entertainment preferences of people who use them. The revelation of a concept car associated with a connected home is unprecedented at a motor show. Symbioz demonstrates dynamic scenarios where the car is put to use in different places within and around the home and while travelling.
The Renault Symbioz concept is powered by all-electric motors in line with Renault’s intent to continue to pursue its Zero Emissions strategy. Renault, the European leader in electric vehicles, developed Symbioz to ensure the home and car share energy. Kilowatt-hours are distributed through a smart grid shared by the car and the home in an artificial intelligence environment that anticipates people’s needs. For example, it’s possible to programme the system to use the power stored in the car batteries temporarily for the lights, screens and home appliances during peak times. If there is a blackout, this happens automatically and power sharing can be monitored and adjusted.
At the motor show, Renault showed the house and concept in static and dynamic modes. In the first scenario, Symbioz drives into the house to become an additional, modular room in the form of a useful, mobile and connected space, parking inside and then outside the physical structure.
Symbioz also shows Renault’s vision of the car as an extension of the home when travelling. Generous cabin space is attributed to Symbioz’s rear-wheel drive configuration, with two electric motors located on the rear axle, and the batteries housed beneath the floor. The combination of the retracting dashboard, and pivoting front seats make it ideally suited to ‘Mind-off’ autonomous driving. In this mode, drivers can easily relax and chat, read a book or enjoy total access to their personal digital world. Additional personalisation technology allows automatic detection of passengers, customized seat settings, music streaming, and entertainment options.
