- Software République, a collaboration between seven companies, including Renault, Orange, and JCDecaux, has revealed its ‘U1st Vision’ concept: An all-electric compact van, designed to be a zero-emissions portable health clinic.
- While not designed as a straight replacement for a larger ambulance, the U1st Vision is a health pop-up solution which will bring crucial care to ‘healthcare deserts’.
- The concept is based on the same platform as Renault’s upcoming last-minute delivery EV, the FlexEVan.
What other uses could a Renault pop-up EV van take?
In this application, Software République has showcased the U1st Vision as a portable health clinic, with the rear crammed full of a wide range of healthcare equipment. Alongside the seven companies behind Software République, another 15 companies from the health sector also collaborated on this concept. While the U1st Vision isn’t a replacement for fully-fledged electric ambulances, the group still says it should be enough to cover 85% of regular medical tests, helping to prevent illness and health issues before they occur, while the vehicle could be rapidly deployed to areas with public health emergencies to reduce pressure on other healthcare services.
However, this concept’s modular nature, consisting of the EV platform alongside a self-contained pop-up module, means this medical form is just one use case for the U1st Vision. It could be converted to any number of alternative applications, such as a police station for events, or for food service. We’ll have to wait and see whether such a product eventually hits the market, but an EV from Renault will arrive in 2026 with similar underpinnings, with the launch of the FlexEVan.
