RenaultSport is open to the prospect of using hybrid powertrains to enhance its future Renault performance models, according to the company’s managing director, Patrice Ratti.
Asked at the recent FIA Formula E Championship round in London whether he could see a future in which electric and hybrid technology would be applied to Renaultsport road cars, Ratti said: “I like to. Today the problem of a fully electric sports car is that you need a lot of batteries, but we’re also working on hybrid for sports cars.
“Hybridisation could help because of the CO2 [savings]. What’s also great with electric motors is the acceleration. We’re working on it, but we cannot go too expensive with technology.”
Renaultsport’s current crop of high-performance road cars - such as the Clio RS 220 Trophy and Mégane RS 275 Trophy - use petrol engines.
Renault’s performance division, which is based at Les Ulis, near Paris, handles the French car maker’s motorsport activities as well its performance road cars and is closely involved in the new Formula E single-seater race series.
Ratti said Formula E is playing an important role in accelerating the development of electric vehicles by improving battery technology.
“In a few years’ time, I am sure we will have three or four times the range we have today,” he said.
He also thought electric and hybrid systems could be mature enough “within five to 10 years” to be introduced on performance cars, but he also said: “In electronics you never can tell; it could be even faster than we predict.”
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