Miguel Sánchez
PHOTOS RENAULT 12 EVA METRO: RENAULT 12 USA
One of the most interesting moments in the history of motorsports has nothing to do with engineering, but with politics. And it is that in 1973 the Oil Crisis changed everything. Suddenly, societies as dependent on hydrocarbons as the North American began to feel a shortage never seen before. Dozens of vehicles crowded at the gas stations waiting to refuel at dizzying prices, and that in case they did not find a sign of "Sorry, no gas". In this way, and only in such a rarefied environment, can the birth of a Renault 12 electric tested by NASA.
Yes, you read it right. And is that NASA itself participated in the development of this derivative of the Renault R12 next to a good roster of experimental electrifieds. Something so curious that it is well worth explaining from the beginning, so here we go. With the price of gasoline skyrocketing in the middle of the Yom Kippur War, the US government decides to explore electric mobility through the US Energy Research & Development Administration. A state agency created to support private companies determined to develop electrical prototypes.
Devised by Electric Vehicle Associates (EVA), it is derived from Renault twelve It was thought not so much for massive use by the population, but as a vehicle for companies and administrations with large fleets. Exactly the point for which it was wanted to rehearse, in an exemplary way, the transition from combustion to electric. An interesting car episode without the smell of gasoline, of which only two units have survived. One of them is located in Canada. The other just made headlines after being located a few weeks ago in Georgia.
RENAULT 12 ELECTRIC: LOW POWER BUT HOPE AUTONOMY
Some very interesting electric vehicles were developed in the early 70s. As a sample there is the Opel Electric GT, which reached up to 189 km / h with a most futuristic fairing. However, the truth is that since the dismantling in the 30s of companies such as Detroit electric… No one seriously thought about applying electricity to an automotive engine beyond the necessary electrical circuit. For this reason, even with the circumstances of 1973, this sudden interest in volts in the country of cheap gasoline. Even more so if the subject of the experiment is a simple Renault 12 electric.
However, the truth is that from 1974 to 1982 EVA electrified pickup trucks, a Ford Fairmont and even a Mustang in its Cleveland workshops. Interesting but isolated cases, since his only project with real potential to end up mass production was the Renault 12 EVA Metro. So this was called "Luxury sedan", for which we have not yet explained why a French single was chosen. Anyway, and thinking about it, the truth is that a Renault R12 weighs about 900 kilos. A contained weight -especially if you compare it with American sedans- to add to the whole that of the huge batteries.
With them, this Renault twelve electrified skyrocketing to 1429 kilos. Taking into account that its engine only yielded 13'6CV Obviously we are not going to have a heart attack performance, but a certain autonomy with little step on the accelerator. Let's see, from the power point of view we have data that speaks of an acceleration from 0 to 45 miles / hour (72 km / h) in 27 seconds with a peak of 90 km / h. With these records, our protagonist was not going to be a chase car. However, autonomy did offer good omens. Neither more nor less than 96 kilometers at medium pace, all thanks to its 12 6-volt batteries.
A FRENCHMAN AT NASA: TESTING HIGH FLIGHTS
Within the program designed by the US Energy Research Development Administration tests were planned at NASA with the models of the collaborating companies. Some tests that complemented those already made by these small manufacturers, most of the time lacking the necessary means for safety tests. Something very important in these vehicles, since the enormous weight of the batteries radically changed their dynamic behavior. In fact, as we have been able to find out by reviewing the test report of these cars available on the NASA website, One Renault 12 of EVA ended up shattered during the car tests.
Beyond this, the idea of the program was to experiment with the practical application of batteries designed by the space agency itself. However, by the mid-XNUMXs these still did not provide enough autonomy to take seriously a massive electrification of the fleet.
So things, EVA's electric Renault R12 project was falling into oblivion along with all the others. Only about 15 units were produced, most of which ended up as service vehicles in the mobile fleet in the province of Manitoba, Canada. And that a commercialization of which advertisements are preserved was attempted, advertising the car with a price of $ 9.500 at the time. About 47.000 today.
With these prices in hand, coupled with a difficult overnight charge on a 110-volt network, the Renault 12 EVA Metro was far from commercially successful. In fact, after the Oil Crisis everything went back to the times of excess, which is confirmed by taking a quick look at the automobile industry of the 50s. However, after almost XNUMX years the history of this experiment has become a good sample of the electrical transition.
Something that has its followers, like the fan of Renault 12 you just purchased this unit.
Of course, as far as we know, something very important is going to change during the restoration: the batteries. According to our times, it will replace them with Tesla ones. However, the important thing is to have rescued this interesting example of Renault twelve that decades ago, what we are currently experiencing has come to pass.
