Sail-Powered Vessels Will Carry Renault Vehicles
If there is one thing we love here at Renault South Africa, it’s sharing some uplifting news. There is so much to be worried and anxious about these days, that silver-lining news clips tend to get lost in the noise, which is why we go out of our way to share it here on our platform. Ready for a nice solid dose of positivity? Here goes!
Come 2020, the Renault vehicles shipped from France to the United States of America will make their way across international waters by means of sail-powered vessels! Jip, you read that right – sail power is back and the modern-day equivalent of the ships that ferried explorers around the globe is poised to make a huge difference in the carbon output of companies such as ours.
The project is being conducted in collaboration with Neoline, a newly-established tech company that produces exclusive automotive electronics for the CIS and European markets. The company has been commissioned to construct two wind-operated ships that will transport Renault vehicles from France to the US. Groupe Renault has decided to go this route to reduce the carbon emissions of its cars and parts that are transported via ship (which constitutes 60% of its overall shipments). This move forms part of an overarching strategy that seeks to lower our emissions by 6% by 2020.
In further happy news, we are thrilled to report that we are not the only company looking into the sustainable power of wind-propelled vessels. Maersk Tankers, a product tanker company operating 164 vessels globally and one of the largest fleets in the product tanker industry, is also getting ready to test out a new vessel that features cylinder-shaped rotor sails that will make use of wind power. With international companies like these taking the lead in developing this technology, we can all have hope that sustainability will become a top-of-mind consideration for major economic roleplayers the world over.
How’s that for some uplifting news? Keep an eye on the blog in coming weeks and months as we share more insightful news on the ways that Groupe Renault is working to become a more sustainable company, while continuing to manufacture high-performance vehicles that appeal to auto enthusiasts worldwide. In the meantime, feel free to get in touch with your nearest dealership to test drive the current models we have on offer and feel that Renault magic for yourself.
