Groupe Renault - 2019 Universal Registration Document

02

ENVIRONMENT RENAULT: A RESPONSIBLE COMPANY

reduction in concentrations of particulates (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) in the neighborhood in question. In addition to expanding its offer of electric vehicles (both in terms of market segments and geographical areas covered), Groupe Renault also aims to roll out new electric mobility services that form a central component of urban travel schemes, to the benefit of air quality improvement and congestion reduction: car-sharing, ride-hailing, and autonomous shuttles under the Drive the Future plan. At the end of 2019, more than 7,000 Renault brand electric vehicles were thus available in car-sharing services in Europe. For more details, see section 2.2.1 “Thinking about and developing new sustainable forms of mobility,” in particular 2.2.1.2.A “Accelerating the development of new forms of mobility and entering into strategic partnerships.”

The technical solutions applied to each vehicle are the result of a compromise between a number of requirements (treatment efficiency, defogging, noise and energy consumption), and vary according to range and equipment level. All passenger cars worldwide sold under the Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Renault Samsung Motors brands are fitted with a cabin particulate filter as standard. Most of the latest passenger car models marketed under the Renault brand in Europe and China do come with combination filters as standard on all versions, together with the automatic air inlet management system on higher trim levels fitted with automatic air conditioning (the system cannot be offered on other versions as it requires power-driven air inlet valves). However, any Renault, Dacia or Renault Samsung Motors customer whose vehicle is not initially fitted with a technical air treatment solution from the outset and requiring such a solution will be able to obtain this equipment through additional Renault after-sales service. EMISSIONS FROM MATERIALS WITHIN THE CABIN When the vehicle is stationary and exposed to sunlight, the presence of volatile chemical substance emissions from materials in the cabin may become overbearing when compared to the quality of the air outside. Renault has therefore set itself the objective of managing these emissions in order to minimize their impact on passenger health and comfort. Thus, since 2009, all materials within all internal vehicle parts (cabin and trunk) whose total weight within the vehicle is over 100g have been subject to specifications deployed to all relevant suppliers, in an effort to manage emissions levels from the main categories of volatile organic compounds. Based on these requirements, in 2017 the Alliance harmonized its processes by developing shared standards for Renault and Nissan. Renault also ensures that any odors caused by the main contributors to the vehicle’s atmosphere are limited. This is assessed by a panel of experts who are specifically trained in Renault’s own methods, based on olfactory descriptors and an understanding of odor levels as set out by the methods of IAP-Sentic ® , a consultancy firm specializing in odors (and a subsidiary of the Burgeap group). Substance risk management b)

CABIN AIR QUALITY

Air in the cabin is a complex blend of air drawn from outside the vehicle, which supplies the heating and air conditioning systems, and emissions from materials within the cabin. Groupe Renault takes these two components into consideration when designing its vehicles in order to control their impact on the quality of cabin air, and to maintain the health

AIR

and comfort of passengers.

TREATMENT OF EXTERNAL AIR DRAWN INTO THE CABIN When driving, the main influence on the quality of cabin air is that of external air, given the fast air renewal flow required for passenger comfort (200m 3 /h on average). Therefore, as soon as it designs its vehicles, Renault ensures that the architecture enables an air treatment system to be fitted. Three types of technical solutions are implemented: the cabin particle filter (also known as a pollen filter): made of 1) non-woven fibers, it is designed to trap the smallest particles, with an effectiveness of over 85% efficiency from 2.5μm in diameter and 95% for particles above 10μm; combination cabin filters: these are pollen filters with a layer of 2) activated charcoal grains added. In addition to particles, the activated charcoal traps gases, including aromatic compounds and nitrogen dioxide. These filters are sized to trap an average of more than 85% of these compounds on the Renault vehicles on which they are fitted; automatic air inlet management system: this is an electronic 3) system linked to a toxicity sensor, which automatically closes the air inlet when the sensor identifies a peak concentration of certain pollutants in the outside air (such as when the vehicle passes through a tunnel). In particular, it detects gases emitted by preceding vehicles.

To safeguard the health of workers and consumers, and to protect ecosystems, legislators have imposed restrictions on the use of hazardous substances in the workplace and in products. In the European Union, the introduction of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation in 2007 heightened

HEALTH

awareness of chemical risks and prompted an increase in the number of restrictions and usage precautions. A number of countries worldwide have since followed the European Union with similar regulations.

184 GROUPE RENAULT I UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2019

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