Renault VE 20

The Renault VE 20 is a prototype truck, a concept truck, built by the French maker RVI (Renault Vehicules Industriel) in 1995. It is part of the Virages programme and is the evolution of the Renault VE 10; with the VE 10 it is a precursor of the Renault AE, and VE stands for Vehicule Experimental. In 1980 the French state and RVI launched the V.I.R.A.G.E.S. research programme, planned over seven years, which produced two prototypes, the VE 10 in 1985 and the VE 20, planned for the end of the programme in 1988. The concept truck was first announced in 1988 but was only unveiled in 1995. It brought a number of innovations: a lightweight chassis with bent extruded aluminium side members, a strut at the suspension, a horizontal gearbox placed under the engine, a fully automatic gearbox, hydraulic disc brakes, electronic monitoring and management, and an aerodynamic cab tested in a wind tunnel. Some of these innovations were carried over to production vehicles such as its successor, the Renault AE and Magnum.