As more and more automakers continue their push to develop electric and autonomous vehicles, a company like Renault isn’t going to let itself get behind the proceedings. The French automaker unveiled the SYMBIOZ concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show last September to showcase what it can do in this burgeoning space. The concept was first envisioned as a roadmap for the company's future by 2030, but in the space of just three months, Renault was able to develop a new working prototype of the same concept that has cut its timetable to 2023.

It’s easy to look at this news on the surface and think that it’s ground-breaking. It is in some regard, but should we really be surprised that Renault is moving its timetable a lot closer to where other automakers are at this point? Most companies are aiming for commercial applications on their autonomous driving technology between 2019 and 2021. If you look at it from that perspective, Renault is still a few years behind.

But that’s not to discount the advancements the French automaker has made. The SYMBIOZ concept is a fascinating interpretation of what the future could look like with Renault. It looks like a full-blown concept. It features plenty of cutting-edge tech features, born from collaborations between the automaker and some of the biggest tech companies in the world. LG developed the concept’s display unit, heads-up display system, and the control unit. Tomtom is responsible for the concept’s map and navigation system, and while we’re at it, the full onboard experience was developed by Ubisoft, the French video game publisher that’s responsible for Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Prince of Persia.

In the interim, Renault plans to offer test drives of the concept to the media “to demonstrate in real-life conditions, a car that is autonomous, electric and connected.” If the company is confident enough in its product to do this now, it tells you that there’s more to Renault’s plans for autonomous driving than we first thought.

It’s happening sooner than later. In my mind, that’s a good thing.

References

Read our review on the Renault Symbioz concept.

Read more Renault news.