Take a tablet for Renault Twin'Z

Renault has embedded a phone and tablet in its Twin’Z concept, with the devices taking over the duties of the dashboard and car system controls.

A smartphone mounted in the driver’s line of sight on the dash gives the car’s speed, range and warnings, while the tablet fixed to a post in the centre stack takes care of GPS, airconditioning, and controls for the seats, roof, lights – and of course internet connectivity.

Used to highlight the French carmaker’s latest design strategy, the electric Twin’z features a carbon-fibre body and glass roof with arrays of LED lighting that forms animated patterns.

The hinged front and rear doors open electrically, removing the need for a central pillar and freeing up space.  Inside, four lightweight seats have been formed to ‘grow’ from the floor, and covered in a high-tech mesh that renders them waterproof and flame-resistant.

The 3.62 metre long electric car drives through its 18 inch rear-wheels, with a rear-mounted motor and batteries located under the floor.

The Twin'Z draws its inspiration from the heritage of some of the brand's most emblematic models, such as the Renault 5 and Renault Twingo but with 50 kilowatts of power it’s going to have to rely on the lightweight body to get it off the mark in a hurry. It has a top speed of 130km/h and a range of 160km.

The small car was a collaboration between Renault and British designer Ross Lovegrove, the fifth concept car in Renault’s design program – and was unveiled not at a car show, but at the prestigious design-fest at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano.