How can the CO2eq emissions of a family car be reduced by 90% by 2035? That’s the challenge Renault Group engineers and designers have taken up by creating Renault Emblème, which is presented at ChangeNOW 2025, the exhibition of sustainable solutions for the planet. Take a step-by-step tour of this vehicle’s decarbonising approach.
Renault Emblème, the low-carbon family car
While a 2019 Captur petrol car emits around 50 tonnes of CO2eq over its entire lifecycle, Renault Emblème will emit just 5 tonnes by 2035. Drastically reducing a vehicle's carbon footprint is the objective behind the creation of this demo-car. Without compromising on its level of equipment and performance. An elegant shooting brake, with attention paid to every stylistic detail and a high-tech interior, Renault Emblème is a 5-seater that can take the family on short daily journeys as well as long-distance holidays. Renault Emblème is proof on the road that low-carbon mobility is possible, thanks to a fresh approach to vehicle design.
From the outset, we wanted to reduce the carbon impact of a family car, with a level of equipment in line with current market standards. To achieve this, we had to change our approach: focus on carbon impact right from the design stage, and co-innovate with our partners.
Measuring carbon impact over the entire life cycle
To create Renault Emblème, we had to aim to reduce the car's carbon footprint at every stage of its life. Right from the design stage, when choosing resources, then during manufacture, in use and at the end of its life - at every stage, all the sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have been identified and worked on to achieve an overall reduction in carbon impact. This is the principle behind the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It's a scientific method that makes it possible to set quantified targets, share them with all the partners involved in the project and measure the results obtained.
What are the levers for achieving the net zero carbon objective?
To reduce the car's carbon footprint by 90%, Renault Group and its partners have implemented six levers:
Electrification: The first lever, and the one that offers the greatest gains, is to switch to electric vehicles. Since 80% of a combustion engine vehicle's CO2eq emissions are linked to its use, electrification is a key factor in decarbonisation.
The net zero-carbon factories and transport: Emissions during manufacturing and transport, even if they represent a small proportion of the total, have been addressed, thanks to better energy management and the use of renewable energies.
Energy efficiency: Vehicle design can significantly improve energy efficiency, with weight savings, aerodynamics and reduced friction all helping to reduce carbon footprint.
Electric and hydrogen dual fuel: To achieve the desired range for a car the size of Renault Emblème, the battery would have to be quite large. To limit the size of the battery, itself a major emitter of CO2eq, it was decided to use a hydrogen fuel cell, which recharges the battery and acts as a range extender.
Low-impact materials: All the components that make up the car and the battery also contribute, each in their own way, to reducing the car's overall carbon footprint. By using more recycled materials, proposing simple designs and using renewable energies in manufacturing, the partners have all contributed.
Low-carbon energy in use: Thanks to European policies in favour of renewable energies, the energy system on which our European cars recharge will be less carbon-intensive by 2035.
To make a success of Renault Emblème, more than twenty Renault Group partners were involved right from the design stage. The specifications were demanding: reduce their carbon footprint by 70% for all the parts supplied for the car, and include at least 50% recycled materials. They rose to the challenge, with very different issues depending on their scope. Each brought its own expertise and capacity for innovation to the project. The spirit of Renaulution is all about working as an ecosystem to move the whole industry forward.
Renault Emblème at ChangeNOW 2025
Revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October 2024, Renault Emblème is presented at the ChangeNOW 2025 exhibition in Paris. Every year, this show brings together companies, institutions, associations that propose sustainable solutions for the planet. Renault Group is taking part for the 4th year running, to continue exploring ways and offering solutions for a sustainable future.
