RENAULT has introduced a new 'eco2' label which guarantees the environmental credentials of vehicles during each phase of their lifecycle ≠ manufacture, use and end-of-life management. Renault eco2 vehicles meet three global environmental standards ã they are produced in an ISO-14001-certified plant, their Co2 emissions do not exceed 140g/km (or are biofuel-compatible) and, in addition to being 95 per cent reusable at the end of their life, at least five per cent of the plastics they contain have been recycled. As well as being ecological, Renault eco2 vehicles are economical to buy. Because they are affordable to the majority of customers, the progress they represent will lead to significant gains for the environment. Observable examples of Renaultπs environmental commitment are downsized engines like the TCE 100hp engine, as well as biofuel-driven vehicles such as the E85 bioethanol MÈgane and the B30 biodiesel Trafic and Master, which are currently being evaluated for the UK market. The eco2 line will initially apply to Renault brand vehicles only. However, Renault sees protection of the planet as a global challenge and will later extend the appellation to other regions of the world. The Renault eco2 line is also seen as a means of highlighting the ongoing gains achieved in environmental matters, with standards becoming more and more stringent with a view to offering a line-up of vehicles that are increasingly ecological and economical.

Renault has ambitious environmental objectives. They form part of the company's drive over the last ten years to curb the environmental effects of its activities at every stage in the life cycle of its vehicles ã from manufacture to use and end-of-life product management. They also assert Renault's determination to rise to the great ecological challenges by offering its customers here and now affordable technologies that can be applied to the majority of vehicles. Renault believes that by making its environmentally-friendly vehicles economical to buy and run it will increase the benefit they represent for the environment. The eco2 label will initially only apply to the Renault brand in European markets before being extended to markets in other parts of the world at a later date. Renault will strive to steadily raise standards by incorporating new achievements in environmental progress so that it constantly offers a line-up of ecological vehicles of the highest level. Downsizing conventional petrol and diesel engines continues to stand out as one of the most cost-effective ways of curbing fuel consumption and, thereby, greenhouse gas emissions. This is a field in which Renault excels and combines three benefits. It essentially involves reducing the cubic capacity of an engine without detracting from its performance thanks to the use of appropriate technology, e.g. the addition of a turbocharger or a switch to direct fuel injection. In other words, a 1.9-litre diesel engine with an output of 93hp has now been replaced by a more fuel-efficient, 1.5-litre turbocharged powerplant delivering 105hp. The latest addition to Renaultπs petrol engine line-up, the TCE 100, is a perfect example of the expertise it has acquired in this field. Although it delivers the 100hp of a 1.4 litre engine and torque (145Nm), the 1.2 litre engine that drives the Clio by Rip Curl has combined cycle fuel consumption of just 5.9 litres/100km and Co2 emissions of 139g/km.