Renault Trucks unveils its DOLPHIN Research & Development project

Renault Trucks is continuing its investment in research in order to offer increasingly efficient, low-carbon vehicles that can adapt to changes in the transport industry. Through the collaborative DOLPHIN project, the manufacturer is set to develop an electric laboratory vehicle to pave the way for the future generation of electric long-haulage trucks. The aim is to assess the potential for technological innovation in terms of energy and environmental optimisation, safety, ergonomics and on-board comfort.

The DOLPHIN project (Development Original truck Lab for PHysical INtegration), is being led by Renault Trucks with a consortium of industrial and academic research partners based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The consortium comprises Lamberet, a manufacturer of refrigerated semi-trailers; SafetyTech- a Gauzy Compagny, a specialist in driving comfort and safety solutions for coaches, buses, motorhomes and trucks; the Laboratoire de Mécanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique, the Laboratoire Ampère, the Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures, supervised by the INSA (National Institute of Applied Sciences), among others; and the Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, supervised by Clermont Auvergne University.

The aim of this collaborative project is to build a demonstration vehicle, based on an all-electric truck, to test and evaluate technological innovations in three areas of research:

• Energy and environmental optimisation, with research focusing on the aerodynamics of the all-electric vehicle and, more generally, on the energy efficiency of the entire assembly.
• Safety for road users, with the integration of specific equipment to enhance detection of vulnerable road users.
• Ergonomics and on-board comfort, with a completely redesigned dashboard and new interior fittings, providing an innovative on-board experience centred on the driver's well-being.

New mobile applications enabling optimised management of bodywork equipment will also be tested.

For Renault Trucks, the DOLPHIN project is a way of preparing its future generations of electric trucks by exploring and advancing the maturity of new technologies. Production of the laboratory truck will start in the spring of 2024.

The DOLPHIN project is the winner of the "CORAM 2022" call for projects (Comité d'Orientation pour la Recherche Automobile et Mobilité), which supports innovation projects that will accelerate the transition to the vehicle of the future. It has been funded by the French government as part of France 2030 and by the European Union - Next Generation EU as part of the France Relance plan.