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This Renault Prototype Launches Drones And Could Save Your Life

  • Renault has unveiled a one-off fire rescue concept, based on the 4 E-Tech.
  • Envisioned as a mobile command center, the concept can launch drones.
  • It features an increased ride height and a dual-motor all-wheel drive system.

Emergency vehicles usually aren’t very exciting, but Renault has taken the wraps off the new Vision 4Rescue concept. It’s based on the Renault 4 E-Tech and features a drone that can be deployed from a roof-mounted storage box.

Billed as a mobile fire command center, the Vision 4Rescue features a bright red exterior with a mix of matte and gloss graphics inspired by emergency services. They’re joined by chunky fender flares and an extra 0.6 inches (15 mm) of ground clearance.

More: Ford’s Bronco Wildland Firefighting Command Vehicle Is Hot Stuff

Elsewhere, there are emergency lights and modified bumpers. The latter incorporate 3D-printed bump stops that have shock-absorbing properties to minimize damage.

The most eye-catching detail is the roof-mounted storage box, which is mounted on stylish supports. The aerodynamic compartment not only houses the aforementioned drone, but also equipment which can be used to “restore a communications network in the wake of a disaster.”

Renault says the interior was developed in close collaboration with fire services and features a split cargo area. The upper section has a slide out workspace with two monitors and a keyboard. It serves as a communications hub as well as a monitoring station for the drone.

The lower section features two storage compartments, which are designed to hold emergency equipment. This includes helmets, bags, tablets, and walkie-talkies.

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The cockpit follows in the footsteps of the regular model, but has special seats with PinPon pattern upholstery. The seats are also notable for using foam sourced from recycled firefighting suits.

Elsewhere, there are walkie-talkie holders and “Je te reçois 4 sur 4” badging. The latter means ‘Reading you loud and clear.’

Renault went on to say the concept has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system and helps to promote the Software République consortium. In particular, the company said the car has nearly 20 interconnected solutions and Software République developed an ecosystem “designed to standardize the different technologies used by … emergency services for a faster and better coordinated response.”

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Renault

Renault’s Retro R4 EV Could Get A Whole Lot More Interesting Soon

  • Renault has released a concept hinting at a production dual-motor R4.
  • The R4 Savane has an extra motor on the back and 15 mm chassis lift.
  • Tough makeover includes shock-absorbing bumpers and a wider track.

Renault’s retro 4 E-Tech crossover has only just hit the streets of Europe, and already the company is teasing us about a major upgrade. The 4 Savane is a rugged, off-road-themed concept that adds an extra motor to the EV’s rear axle, giving the 4 all-wheel drive for the first time.

Borrowing a name from one of the original R4s, the Savane gets a 15 mm (0.6 inches) body lift, and bespoke 18-inch wheels with Goodyear UltraGrip performance tires that increase the track width by 20 mm (0.79 inches) front and rear.

Related: The New Renault 4 E-Tech Makes For A Chic Beach Buggy

Its Jade Green paint is new to the R4 and topped by a printed fabric roof, while the stock bumper overriders are replaced by new 3D-printed parts with shock-absorbing properties. The interior also gets an outdoorsy theme courtesy of seats finished in Deep Brown and featuring houndstooth backrests and bolsters.

We hope you like brown because there’s more mud coloring on the dashboard, but the Savane’s real appeal is that it might also be able to handle some mud on its tires with an extra electric motor boosting traction.

The production 4 E-Tech rides on the same AmpR Small architecture as the award-winning Renault 5 E-Tech and its Alpine A290 brother, and all of those production cars are strictly single-motor, front-wheel drive affairs – the $180k, RWD  Renault 5 Turbo 3E rides on a totally different platform.

 Renault’s Retro R4 EV Could Get A Whole Lot More Interesting Soon
Image: Renault

Single-motor Fours get a choice of 118 hp (120 PS / 88 kW) and 148 hp (150 PS / 110 kW) power units, so adding a second motor to the rear could theoretically push power close to 300 hp (304 PS / 224 kW), which is not far off 10 times as much power as the original Renault 4 had back in 1961. That wouldn’t just be the basis for a rugged Savane production car, but could enable Renault to get into the hot crossover market with an AWD Alpine spinoff.

Renault hasn’t confirmed the Savane, or a bi-motor 4 for production, saying only that it “demonstrates the potential of the AmpR Small platform to create a B-segment electric vehicle with four-wheel drive,” but it tends not to make concepts that don’t have real production intent. What we don’t yet know is whether the Renault 5, running on a shorter version of AmpR Small, could also accommodate a rear motor.

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Images: Renault

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