Renault EVE

EVE is Renault's first research vehicle on energy savings. Its name means Éléments pour une Voiture Économe, and it is based on a Renault 18 platform. It was the outcome of two years of study following the agreement signed between the French car makers and the Agency for Energy Saving, with two lines of study favoured: aerodynamic research and engine management. Two models followed one another, EVE and its evolution EVE+. In the first step the aerodynamics were worked on a great deal, bringing the drag coefficient down to 0.239 against 0.34 for the contemporary R18 TL, while the body stayed a traditional four-door saloon with a separate boot and the same roominess as the Renault 18. In the engine the carburettor was no longer linked to the throttle by a cable, with a computer between the two optimising engine speed to driving pace, and Renault announced a fall of 25 percent in consumption. EVE+ lowered the drag coefficient to 0.225 with a better-shaped front bumper, a rear spoiler and a floor extension, and replaced the petrol engine by a turbo diesel derived from that of the Renault 9, with direct injection and an automatic stop and restart system that saves about 0.8 litres per 100 km.