The Renault Group partnered with Jiangling Motors in 2018 to create Mobilize, a brand specializing in mobility. The first tangible result of this joint-venture is the Limo, an electric saloon that has been designed keeping in mind the requirements of taxi drivers and car rental companies with drivers (VTC in Spain).
It is not the typical vehicle designed as a taxi, see LEVC TX or derivatives of vans. By exterior dimensions (4.67 m long, 1.83 m wide, and 1.47 m high), the Mobilize Limo is close to the current D segment of saloons, although the luggage compartment capacity is more of the C segment, 411 liters. Those taxi drivers or companies that renew a Toyota Prius, a Dacia Logan, a Hyundai IONIQ, or a Fiat Tipo will miss some capacity. At least he has an emergency spare tire.
Of course, it is a vehicle intended for professionals. The presentation to the public will be during the IAA Mobility in Munich, which has replaced the appointment of the Frankfurt Motor Show, and with the professional client in mind. Renault wants to give them an “all-inclusive” solution (details of which will be known later) but without selling the car, taking advantage of the fact that they have their bank, RCI Bank.
Renault has seen the rise of the ride-hailing business (taxis / VTC) in Europe, 28,000 million euros of business today, with the forecast of reaching 50,000 million in 2030. In addition, the increasing restrictions on traffic require the electrification of fleets of taxis and VTC to access urban centers, but at the same time have good autonomies, interior space, etc.
The Mobilize Limo will be able to travel 450 km on a full charge (60 kWh), although the WLTP homologation is still pending. It supports various slow and fast recharging systems, being able to recover 250 km of autonomy in 40 minutes. The performance is not bad, 0-100 km / h in 9.6 seconds and tip limited to 140 km / h thanks to a 110 kW / 150 hp electric motor. Three driving modes prioritize performance or longer range.
Its design is close to the crossover universe, with a slightly taller body, but with the advantages of an electric platform: short overhangs and long wheelbase (2.75 m). To save costs there will only be three colors: white, black, or gray. Other notable features are the LED lights, the 17-inch aluminum wheels, or the retractable door handles.
Mobilize Limo Interior
The driver has at his disposal eight settings for his workplace, the front passenger has four seat settings. The dashboard screens (10.25 ″) and the infotainment system (12.3 ″) will facilitate the acquisition of information, and the cooled space between the front seats will be very appreciated by the driver and passengers. According to markets, it will have a heated steering wheel and seats.
The rear seats fit three adult passengers and will have some amenities such as USB charging sockets, reading lights, volume control, or independent air vents. They have even thought about the upholstery, which is of the TEP (imitation leather) type, with a satin appearance, a soft texture, and easy cleaning. The bright atmosphere of the interior can be configured in seven colors.
The doors open wider than normal for easy access, though they don’t feature the old Japanese innovation of automatic curbside opening. Being a raised body vehicle, the floor is flat and there is more room to put your feet back. The central square can be overridden to have a pair of coasters and the armrest in place.
By the way, the 12.3 ″ multimedia screen allows the replication of the mobile phone, quite useful for professionals who use specific applications for their work. In addition, speaking of apps, you can manage some functions remotely, such as opening or closing doors, air conditioning the car, or checking the battery charge status.
Active and passive safety has not exactly been neglected. Drivers will have various systems to avoid scares and accidents, such as adaptive speed control, detection of vehicles in a blind spot, lane departure alerts, automatic braking, traffic sign recognition, parking assistant, 360º peripheral vision with cameras, rear cross-traffic warning, etc.
An initial fleet of 40 units will be tested in a pilot experience under real conditions as a step before their commercialization to the B2B market in the second half of 2022. Mobilize is one of Renault’s four business branches, in addition to the diamond brand itself. there are Dacia / Lada and Alpine. Production of the Limo is expected to take place in China.
