![This retro-futuristic Renault R17 EV restomod needs to go into production immediately [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Renault-EV-R17-hero.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
This retro-futuristic Renault R17 EV restomod needs to go into production immediately [Video]
French automaker Renault recently unveiled an all-electric restomod of its classic R17 model launched in 1971. Imagined through a collaboration with French designer Ora Ïto, this unique Renault EV is a home run blending of a classic past with the technology of the future, and it needs to go into production.
Forgive us for covering this unveiling so late, but Renault is admittedly not on the forefront of our news radar when it comes to EVs and new models. The French automaker does currently sell all-electric models, but its not exactly known for delivering sleek and sexy modes of transportation.
That was a different story in the 1970s, when Renault debuted the R17 coupe, which saw a production run in Europe throughout the decade. During that time, the R17 was marketed in the US, but only sold in small numbers. We’d argue those sales numbers would change if Renault brought the EV restomod seen below into production and global markets.
Since 2021, Renault has developed a number of unique creative projects that collaborate with brilliant minds in design to showcase exercises in concepts that nod to the automaker’s 125-year heritage and notable models that have made their imprint on car culture.
Renault’s latest project is an exquisite EV version of the classic R17 coupe, reimagined for the modern world with the help of French designer Ora Ïto.
This EV concept is the stuff Renault should be selling
In the US, at least. Europeans may not have quite the appetite (or parking space) for this style of vehicle these days, but this Renault EV concept is a work of art, in our opinion, and we want to see more. The R17 restomod debuted at Maison5 in Paris last week as the fourth collaboration with Ora Ïto in as many years.
As you can see from the image comparison below, the Renault EV concept combines new and old in a beautiful sculptural redesign that holds true to the original but accentuates all elements in a futuristic yet familiar style.
The EV version of the Renault R17 is 17 cm wider and appears to have a slightly shorter rear for better aerodynamics. It also has redesigned wings and wheels for a more modern-day look that is still retro-looking.
The two original headlamps have been transformed into four narrower rectangular modules with rounded corners and the the rear lights are now a single strip. Under the hood, Renault and Ïto have replaced the original R17’s front-wheel drive and longitudinal engine with fuel injection with a rear EV powertrain that boasts 270 horsepower.
The Renault EV concept’s interior was designed to maintain the comfort of the original R17, while improving certain components for the all-electric age. The seats were redesigned around the original “petal” structure with new upholstery, and the dash now features a central screen as well as four small geometric screens behind the steering wheel, inspired by the dials of the original model. Ora Ïto spoke about the design process and the thought behind this reimagined version of a classic Renault vehicle:
We kept the most distinctive design features of Renault 17, starting with the front end. My aim was to add stye and flow, but without altering the character of R17. You can still see the original Renault 17 and its sports coupé looks. I wanted to add my own design codes, accentuating some of the characteristics with a futuristic touch to give them a more timeless look. This is what I did with the wheels, for example. My signature is also visible inside the car. We teleported Renault 17 into the future, making a few subtle changes that give it a whole new look. Our key phrase was: ‘a detail is not a detail’. There is a certain ambivalence in that it is not intended to be taken entirely at face value. We were also aiming for a lighthearted touch. Renault has a strong identity and I like that. You recognize a Renault when you see one, and this restomod is no exception to the rule.
Renault shared that BEV concept sits atop a carbon fiber chassis and its “Galactic Brown” exterior is an original shade developed specially for this EV. The R17 restomod will be on display at Renault’s booth at the Paris Motor Show, taking place October 14-20, 2024. You can see more of the EV in Renault’s video below:
Electrek’s take
I will come right out and say I adore this car. I’ve always had a soft spot for all things retro, especially those that nod to design elements from the 1980s get me every time.
I loved the Hyundai IONIQ 5 when it came out for the same reason—hell, I still love the IONIQ 5. However, this Renault EV concept has taken it to another level. Hyundai developed something similar with its N Vision 74 concept, which was recently announced to be going into production, so why can’t Renault do the same?
I’m sure it’s easier said than done. Still, I think many people would gravitate toward these types of EVs because they’re not such a deviation from traditional design and provide a classic look with all the benefits of zero emissions. It feels like a slam dunk, and I hope others agree with me and speak up.
If this concept came to fruition, I would 100% consider buying one )as long as I don’t have to move to France). What do you guys think? Dope, or nope?
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Elon Musk went on an all-day Tesla self-driving propaganda spree ahead of the company’s earnings, which are expected to be rough.
It’s well known these days that Musk doesn’t often comment on Tesla as he is busy with his government work, buying elections, and running several private companies.
Some Tesla shareholders argue that the CEO is neglecting the public company, which saw its stock tumble this year.
That wasn’t the case today.
Musk went on a tweeting spree about Tesla, specifically about Tesla’s self-driving effort.
Here are some of the highlights:
Tesla posted that “one day” its vehicles will drive themselves from the factory to new customers and Musk couldn’t stop himself and had to say that it will happen “this year”:
Like most of Musk’s self-driving comments, this one is hard to take seriously since he said the exact same thing in 2018 and claimed it would happen in 2019.
The tweet he was responding to has been deleted by the author, but it asked when Tesla vehicles would drive themselves to customers:
Spoiler alert: regulators are not the bottleneck here.
Musk then claimed that “Tesla self-driving will be far safer than human driving”:
The problem here is that Musk has claimed on many occasions that Tesla’s FSD is already safer than humans, like in 2023: “Supervised FSD is vastly safer than human driving.”
There’s no data that supports that. Tesla refuses to share any data regarding its self-driving program and instead, the company shares a very misleading quarterly “safety report.”
Considering Tesla’s FSD requires supervision from a driver at all times, the driver’s supervision and attention help reduce accidents that the self-driving system wouldn’t necessarily prevent.
Musk also shared positive experiences of a few Tesla owners, including a Tesla engineer and Joe Rogan:
As we often highlight, Tesla’s FSD can be impressive to use, but the problem is when you compare it to its promise, which is in the name: full self-driving.
Under its current form, FSD is still a level 2 advanced driver assist system, and not self-driving, but Musk said that it would become truly “unsupervised” self-driving every year for the last 8 years.
Therefore, it’s not what Musk has been promising buyers for years and as for when it is coming, he has been consistently wrong and has asked owners to rely on anecdotal experiences as Tesla refuses to release any data.
We previously reported that Musk has twice positively referred to a crowdsourced Tesla FSD dataset that shows Tesla’s FSD v13 on HW4 is achieving fewer than 500 miles between critical disengagements.
Tesla has previously stated that FSD must achieve 700,000 miles between critical disengagements to be safer than humans.
The spree of Tesla FSD tweets comes as Tesla is preparing to report its Q1 2025 earnings next week, which should be difficult after the automaker reported its lowest delivery results in three years.
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Texas is No. 1 in the US for wind and solar capacity, but the Texas Senate just passed a bill that aims to kneecap clean energy with an industry-killing review process. Will the Texas House pass it, too?
The Texas Senate today passed SB 819, which creates new restrictions on the development of wind and solar energy under the guise of “protecting” wildlife. The restrictions don’t apply to any other forms of energy.
Texas uses an extraordinary amount of power, and renewables play a big part in supplying that power. The Texas Tribune reported in March that “ERCOT [the Texas grid] predicts that Texas’ energy demand will nearly double by 2030, with power supply projected to fall short of peak demand in a worst-case scenario beginning in summer 2026.” That’s because of extreme weather, population growth, and crypto-mining facilities.
As of February, Texas increased its energy supply by 35% over the last four years, and 92% of that supply came from solar, wind, and battery storage.
Solar is the largest source of energy generating capacity that has been added to the Texas grid. That’s because it’s cost-effective and it can be deployed quickly. So if new solar projects are kneecapped, power demand will outstrip supply in the Lone Star State.
Daniel Giese, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)’s Texas director of state affairs, stated after the Senate’s vote, “With energy demand rising fast, Texas needs every megawatt it can generate to keep the lights on and our economy strong. We cannot afford to turn away from the pro-energy and pro-business policies that made the Lone Star State the energy capital, but that’s exactly what SB 819 does. We urge the Texas House to reject this bill.”
Less clean energy would also jack up electricity bills for Texans, and rural areas would lose billions in landowner revenue and tax payments. Every time a wind farm or solar farm is installed on rural land, it brings a lot of money to the community that surrounds it. A January report estimated that existing and planned solar, wind, and battery storage projects will contribute $20 billion in local tax revenue and $29.5 billion in landowner payments.
What’s especially baffling about this bill is that it flies in the face of a core Texas value – keeping the government out of private property decisions – yet it does precisely the opposite.
Environment Texas executive director Luke Metzger issued the following response: ‘By making it much more difficult to build wind and solar energy in Texas, this bill threatens to increase pollution, increase blackouts and increase our electric bills.
“Under the guise of helping land and wildlife, SB 819 would create a discriminatory and capricious permitting standard that could grind renewable energy development to a halt.
“We urge the House of Representatives to reject this bill and instead support policies that promote a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for all Texans.”
It will come as no surprise to regular readers that I find this bill ludicrously masochistic. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and please keep it civil.
Read more: A vast 600 MW Texas solar farm just hit a major milestone [update]
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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Blink Charging’s (Nasdaq: BLNK) new partnership with Eco-Movement will make Blink’s EV chargers a lot easier to find across multiple platforms.
Eco-Movement is a global platform that collects, refines, and maintains a massive real-time database of public and semi-public EV charging locations and pricing data. That info is used by some of the biggest names in the industry. Now, Blink is tapping into Eco-Movement’s platform to make its chargers way easier to find – whether you’re searching on Google Maps, asking your voice assistant, using a charging app, or navigating from your car’s dashboard.
As new Blink chargers come online, Eco-Movement updates its database of EV charging locations in real-time, and that information is incorporated by mapping and charger-finder apps. That way, EV drivers are kept up to date.
Mike Battaglia, president and CEO at Blink, said, “The leading mapping apps trust Eco-Movement and its state-of-the-art, quality-checked, and constantly updated data. We are excited to be teaming with them to ensure drivers worldwide can easily find our chargers and receive up-to-the-minute updates on charger availability.”
Eco-Movement’s global database includes detailed charging point info – like addresses, operators, pricing, accessibility, truck compatibility, and real-time availability – along with roaming partners, membership rates, and payment options.
“Ultimately, this data will help EV drivers all over the world to find their next charging stop, which is a mission we share with Blink,” said Roderick van den Berg, CEO of Eco-Movement.
Read more: Blink Charging will more than triple EV charger production with a new factory
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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