A look at Renault's 100kpl Eolab concept car

The most frugal Indian cars deliver around 25kpl. The concept shown here will stretch each litre of petrol for a 100km. It’s called the Renault Eolab and as technical showcases go, it’s one of great interest. That’s because most of the elements of the project are set to be incorporated in Renault’s production car range by 2020.

So how does one make a car so fuel efficient? The answer lies in making it as slippery as possible, as light as possible and equipping it with an extremely efficient source of propulsion. Let’s talk aerodynamics first. With dimensions similar to an average four-seat hatchback, making this one cut through the air was never going to be easy. The solution lay in making the Eolab’s frontal area as small as possible, having a low roofline and also a narrower tail to give the car an aerodynamic ‘teardrop’ shape. There is also a series of active aerodynamic aids such as the flaps at the rear that open above 60kph to smoothen air flow at the car’s extremities. An air suspension that lowers with speed further aids the car’s wind-cheating abilities. The rear-view mirrors have been replaced by cameras for the very same reason.