renault creates a demonstrator car of its symbioz autonomous electric concept

after unveiling a vision for 2030 with ‘symbioz’, the concept car and house, at the frankfurt motor show 2017, RENAULT’s ‘symbioz’ demo car is the first rolling prototype built to be autonomous from the ground up. the demonstrator’s road tests give the french-automaker many opportunities to demonstrate in real-life conditions a car that is autonomous, electric and connected.

all images ©  RENAULT

one of the goals of RENAULT’S ‘symbioz’ is to enable to make the transition from theory to practice, allowing engineers and designers to address the many challenges and opportunities presented by autonomous driving. from base level driving assistance like cruise control, to full driving automation in any roads, SAE international has defined five levels of autonomous driving. the ‘symbioz ‘demonstrator is capable of reaching level four, also known as ‘mind-off’. this frees up the driver from all dynamic driving tasks when the car’s automated driving system is switched on, therefore it is no longer necessary for the driver to concentrate on the road ahead.

on authorized highways or dual roads with a median strip, a level 4 autonomous car adjusts the vehicle’s speed in accordance with the car in front, stay in its lane even when cornering, change lanes (i.e. to overtake another car or exit the highway) and function alone in traffic jams. level four driving automation is currently not permitted under french road rules. however, france’s road authorities allow trials to take place if someone is travelling in the car and can supervise the autonomous drive mode.