Renault Morphoz: The Electric Concept Car
Everyone has their perspective on what the automotive world will look like in the future but few are as exciting as this. Introducing the Renault Morphoz – a concept of what Renault electric vehicles could be like in 2025, with an added twist.
If the looks weren’t enough to whet your appetite, how about the fact it can morph into different shapes? This futuristic concept car can transform into City mode or Travel mode, each with their own unique characteristics. Could this be a transformer in the making?
Creating A Better World With The Renault Morphoz
The future of automotive transport is certainly exciting as we’ve all seen or heard of flying taxis, autonomous vehicles, personal jetpacks and even hoverboards. However, travelling now and in the future requires more than just next-generation technology; we need things to be more efficient, quieter and cleaner.
Our future depends on us making our cities less congested so we can all have better air quality. Not only that but we need to be smarter about managing the planet’s energy sources. Who knows what transportation will be like in the next 20 years but instead of dreaming about it, we have concept cars like the Renault Morphoz opening our imagination to what is possible in the not-so-distant future.
The Renault Morphoz Could Revolutionise Personal Transportation
When buying a car, you typically choose something that suits your needs whether it’s a bakkie, sedan, hatchback or panel van. For that reason, manufacturers have various models with different sizes, powertrain, performance and styling.
While this process still works (for now), the Renault Morphoz could revolutionise the industry as it offers the ability to physically change, or morph, at the touch of a button. This means you could have a 2-in1 offering where it suits your needs for city driving or a long-distance grand tourer of sorts.
In terms of design, it’s a bespoke, clean, modular vehicle that can easily adapt to everyday journeys as it does long-distance road trips. The concept is essentially a passenger vehicle that fits beautifully into the circular economy as you can share it when you’re not using it while having a much smaller carbon footprint.
Styling And Functionality
The Renault Morphoz is undeniably a stunning representation of what the future may hold for Renault owners. The styling showcases the future Renault design trends with their signature slim lights that seamlessly flow across the grille. For true Renault stalwarts, you should be able to see from the front wings, when in Travel mode, that some of the inspiration comes from the side grilles of Renaults in 1910.
On the inside, most of the controls are displayed on an L-shaped screen and while you’ll notice traditional instruments, they can be hidden using a folding panel. The steering wheel has a built-in 10.2-inch screen from where you can control most of the vehicle’s functions. While the Renault Morphoz is not a fully self-driving car, it does come with level-three autonomy.
The Renault Morphoz is built on the CMF EV modular platform, representing generation 2.0 of the company’s electric vehicles. You may not see one of these cars on the road any time soon but don’t think it’s impossible as it was built using real technology which is available today.
According to François Leboine, Renault’s Design Concept Cars Director, “The idea is to have something every day that is matched to your needs. It’s created for 80 per cent city-life driving, but can suddenly change and offer the ability to go further.”
How Does The Morphoz Change Shape?
In normal City Mode, it has a 400km/248m range (40kWh battery) but at the touch of a button, the front extends to offer range and power. It comes in the form of a more capable 50kWh battery offering 700km/435m which means you now have a total of 90kWh to play with.
The rear can also extend which opens the interior to provide additional room for occupants and more boot space. That’s not all as the front passenger seat can flip around to turn the rear of the car into a three-seat open-plan area.
The way the car morphs is more than just elegant as it also reveals new forms emerging from the rear grilles. It displays vibrant yellow sections behind panels which makes for an eye-catching transformation.
Far-Fetched Or Reality In The Making?
If you think all of that is science-fiction, wait until you read this part. While other electric cars have a full-time built-in battery, the Renault Morphoz will form part of a wide eco-system of an automated loading/unloading concept.
The idea is that a loading station will contain batteries connected to a wider network where they provide energy when not inside electric vehicles. This means they serve a dual purpose by helping to power neighbourhoods until they are loaded into or out of a vehicle.
Truth is, it’s not at all far-fetched as Chinese EV-maker Nio already offers battery-swap stations for some of its cars. The system works exceptionally well as they can fit a battery in three minutes. Over time, it also removes the depreciation of battery life as they can seamlessly introduce new cells into the system.
This all-electric platform is shared by the Alliance who anticipates that future models will have several battery capacities and different interiors. While Renault has manufactured the car, and is fully functional, the Renault Morphoz is only a concept and not a road-legal production vehicle.
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