Renault unveils the MORPHOZ concept designed for a shared electric future

The MORPHOZ concept is Renault’s vision of personal, shareable, electric mobility of the future.

The smart, modular, crossover vehicle is able to physically and technologically adapt whether it's being used for a short commute, trip to the shops or a longer journey. The vehicle is able to recognise and welcome the driver but is fully shareable which features a number of autonomous technologies for improved convenience and safety.

Drawing on the Alliance's new modular CMF-EV 100% electric platform, it offers a number of different configurations for power, capacity and range, as well as user options and boot space. The concept is faithful to the brand's DNA embodying Renault's Family Petal design strategy and heralds a new family of electric models over the coming years.

The Renault MORPHOZ concept represents changes in technology, society, the environment and human behaviour. It is a key element of several transformational ecosystems which place sharing as a fundamental principle. Groupe Renault is already strongly involved in supporting the mobility revolution with products, services and solutions. Its strategy is to become a supplier of smart mobility solutions for the cities and regions of the future.

With the MORPHOZ concept, Groupe Renault is now looking at the dual use of batteries. When not being used for driving, the MORPHOZ's batteries remain in the car but can power appliances in the house or the local area via smart charging devices and V2G (Vehicle to Grid) bi-directional technology. Batteries used in the extended Travel mode are taken out of the vehicle and stored in a charging station for use in other vehicles or to power equipment such as self-service bicycle charging stations or street lighting.

Renault believes that it has a key role and responsibility to do everything it can to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicles and other technological solutions. With the MORPHOZ and its battery-sharing system, there is no need to produce batteries with a nominal 90kWh capacity for every vehicle. Limiting production in this way is good for the carbon footprint and the environment.

The MORPHOZ embodies the Me/We concept, which says that what is one persons can be shared. It challenges the idea of the car as private, and instead encourages shared use. It meets all the family's requirements, meaning they don't have to buy a second or even a third vehicle when it's not necessary or the need for a larger vehicle for occasional reasons.

It meets the needs of new kinds of community that are developing around digital infrastructures, regenerative resources and social well-being. As a single vehicle which can also serve the communal well-being, it suits new patterns of living in these urban communities, such as the co-living trend in housing.

The sharing capabilities of the MORPHOZ are central to this philosophy, with the removal of keys and starting cards. It also anticipates regulations which will soon insist on car-sharing for all cars. Everything is accessed using the smartphone, which works as a digital key. This makes sharing with other people easier without the need to swap keys, instead drivers receive an unlocking code which lets the driver access and use the vehicle for a pre-determined period.

As a symbol of Groupe Renault's vision of electric mobility in the years after 2025, the MORPHOZ is a key part of the transformation to Smart Cities, where connected technologies, smart and open data, IoT devices, smart networks, new materials and clean energies can be used to design and build a positive future.

The MORPHOZ's Level 3 driving autonomy enhances the safety of everyone by removing human error behind almost 90% of road accidents*. Its sensors also detect pedestrians and cyclists, actively alerting the driver to them in manual mode, in order to avoid accidents.

Its electric powertrain helps to improve air quality and means it can be used in areas that are out of bounds to ICE vehicles. The shorter City version is ideal for city traffic, with a reduced footprint and less extensive vehicle facilities.

With its system of battery stations, it can play a role in creating energy self-sufficiency in city neighbourhoods. Unused batteries deposited in the stations can power infrastructures, buildings and services. They store renewable energy and help to smooth out peaks in demand by returning it when needed. This battery sharing also means fewer need to be produced.

Artificial intelligence (AI), connectivity and other clever features combine to immerse driver and passengers in a welcoming and calm environment. The AI operates before anyone has even entered the vehicle, using its sensors to detect and recognise the driver on approach. It activates a light sequence on the doors to indicate recognition. The driver just waves to activate the welcome sequence, which unlocks and opens the doors, automatically positions the seat and adjusts the interior lighting to the driver's preferences and mood. The driver also hears the AI's welcoming voice.

The cabin is crossed by a raised centre console which represents the brain of the MORPHOZ. There is a special holder for the driver's smartphone, which is then drawn into the console's wooden panel to serve as the main data source. The AI will then, if authorised, use data and information from the smartphone to perform its tasks.

The AI lets the driver see the surrounding area by processing real-time data from external sensors and images from the vehicle cameras, especially the set which replace the door mirrors. Light displays on the inner doors and windows signal the presence of a pedestrian or a cyclist in the blind spot.

Acting like a virtual personal assistant, the AI can be managed in three ways: by touching the screens and console, by hand gestures, or by voice. In City mode, for daily travel, it converts the driver's diary into an efficient trip by optimising the itinerary and the time between appointments. In Travel mode, en route to a holiday, for example, it suggests points of interest while taking the desired time of arrival and remaining range into account, like the electric journey plan on the MY Renault app for Renault electric vehicles. In both cases, the large screen on the instrument panel provides a 3D display of the trip.

Onboard the MORPHOZ, the driver's and passengers' smartphones are detected automatically, and each person can continue to listen to their favourite music relayed through the speakers in the seats. A journey planned at home will be automatically picked up by the navigation system, which will send a route of the last distance to be walked to the driver's smartphone once the vehicle is parked close to the destination.

The social role of the AI on board is clear by the shared screen located between the seats on the centre console. This is where passengers can scroll through the music library on one of their smartphones or where they can play video games against each other. This screen also lets the users control the comfort of the cabin through the MULTI SENSE settings.

Like the CMF-B platform launched last year on the All-New Clio and used on the All-New Captur, the CMF-EV allows engineers to design, build, adjust, and fine-tune electric vehicles more efficiently. The innovative architecture features a long wheelbase with wheels at the very corners of the vehicle, reduced overhangs and a flat floor, all combined to create a radical and striking appearance. A streamlined battery means the vehicle can be designed closer to the ground and with a lower roof to deliver improvements to aerodynamic performance. The CMF-EV chassis and structure combination is optimised for dynamic driving with batteries located beneath the floor in the rear, ensuring a low centre of gravity.

A short bonnet results in a longer cabin and delivers an elegant design while the onboard experience is further enhanced by the unique interior. The position of the electric powertrain means the dashboard can be streamlined and pushed forward to free up additional storage and space for passengers - especially leg room for rear passengers. With no transmission tunnel the flat floor allows for even more leg room.

This configurable concept can transform into two different modes: from the shorter City form to the longer Travel version. It is fully adaptable to fit the needs of drivers and passengers, with City mode fitted with the right battery capacity for day-to-day commuting or shopping, while in Travel it is able to accommodate the added capacity needed for long distance journeys.

The City version is 4.40m long with a 2.73m wheelbase, a record for the vehicle length, while still being light and cost-efficient. A 40kWh battery is fitted as standard, with a range of up to 249 miles, more than enough for daily urban and suburban use.

In this configuration, the MORPHOZ features a specific light signature, which includes additional LED segments. Its style is more striking, with a short bonnet, sculptured bumpers and short overhang which pushes the wheels out to the corners, demonstrating the agility of an electric-powered city car. At the same time, the onboard experience matches a vehicle usually found in the luxury segment.

The Travel version is 4.80m long with a wheelbase which is proportionately longer at 2.93m, allowing it to accommodate additional battery capacity and provide a spacious interior. There's more leg room for passengers, along with enough space for two more suitcases, while the design is further optimised with a specific tapered front-end and profile helping to improve aerodynamic performance.

The Travel Extender battery pack offers an additional 50kWh of power, for a total capacity of 90kWh and a total range of 435 miles, perfect for those travelling longer distances. The vehicle extends and converts to Travel mode at a pre-determined battery station where the undertray of the vehicle opens and extra batteries can be installed in just a few seconds.

Once back, the driver stops at a station to return the extra batteries and revert to the original 40kWh capacity and the smaller dimensions of City configuration. The station then recharges the batteries while putting them to additional use until they are needed by another vehicle, such as storing electricity from renewable energy sources or lighting infrastructure or an adjoining building.

As the driver approaches, the Renault MORPHOZ concept runs a light sequence to show the driver has been detected and recognised. A wave is all that is needed to unlock it and open its doors. The reverse-hinged opening combined with no B-pillar makes it easy for passengers to get in the cabin. Like the bodywork, the cabin can convert to adapt to the requirements of all the occupants.

The MORPHOZ concept features a futuristic steering wheel, with a 10.2-inch screen at its centre displaying the main driving and safety information, allowing the surround dashboard to be free of an instrument panel and multimedia screens. However, at the request of the driver, in manual driving mode or autonomous mode, the instrument panel folds out smoothly from the dashboard into view, showcasing a single, wide L-shaped screen with driving and multimedia information.

While the driver remains facing the road at all times, the MORPHOZ has a unique system to allow all other passengers to interact during a journey. A Share mode allows passengers to sit face-to-face to talk or share an activity. To achieve this, the symmetric front passenger seat turns completely to face the rear. The passengers can then make use of the cross-compartment centre console and the screen to access their chosen media.

The adaptable seating functionality is featured throughout the cabin. When the MORPHOZ switches from City to Travel mode, the rear passenger seats automatically move backwards to take advantage of the extra space. This gives passengers more leg room and makes it easier for them to sit in the armchair-like seating around a table, where the screen on the centre console which is shared across the cabin takes on the role of the table.

The Renault MORPHOZ concept is fitted with Level 3 autonomous driving. The advanced technologies allow the driver to release the steering wheel and handover control of the vehicle to the autonomous system in a number of defined situations and on authorised roads, such as motorways or in traffic jams.

The technology is capable of keeping a controlled distance from the vehicle in front, staying in lane on bends, changing lanes to overtake and move in congestion. The system still requires the driver to be able to take back control in a few seconds in the event of potential hazards or when the vehicle sensors are no longer able to read the road trajectory correctly such as in bad weather or the absence of road markings.

With Level 3 autonomous systems, the driver is free to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road once the vehicle has taken control. However, they are unable to use any screen, such as a tablet or smartphone, other than those directly in front of them for other activities; such as dictating an e-mail or reading.

In both Travel and City modes, the MORPHOZ blends the attributes of a saloon, SUV and coupé. This unique mix of styles is made possible by the use of the all-new CMF-EV modular platform which has been specially designed for its electric powertrain. The bodywork has an elegant Ivory Gold metallic finish and Electric Yellow details which contrast with the gloss black of the interior.

The MORPHOZ sits at the heart of these different ecosystems, for a more sustainable, more shared and more inclusive vision of mobility.