Renault To Create France’s First ‘Smart Island’

Renault has announced that it’s going to create the first “smart island” in France, the company’s home country. The effort will be a step up from Renault’s electrification of the Portuguese islands of Porto Santo and Madeira. The French island of Belle-Île-en-Mer will be powered with a microgrid and renewable energy while transportation needs will be met by electric vehicles.

Groupe Renault is going to develop a smart electric ecosystem for the island over the next two years. The system will be designed to reduce the island’s carbon footprint and make it increasingly energy independent. The residents of Belle-Île-en-Mer have some of the highest power prices in the world as they normally use generators or have to rely on undersea cables for power.

The project on this French island will enable researchers to better understand how renewable energy systems and storage batteries can be used to create smart power solutions for small communities.

A fleet of Renault Zoe hatchbacks sedans and Renault Kangoo ZE vans will be deployed as well on the island to cater to the transportation needs. They will form part of a ride-sharing service that will help islanders get around easily. The cars will be powered by EV chargers that will draw their energy from solar panels placed on the roofs of local buildings.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General
Tags: renault