Renault and Dacia latest car makers to limit speeds to 112mph

Renault and Dacia are planning to put 112mph top speed limiters in their cars as a new safety measure.

In a statement, the firms said the electric Renault Megane-E would be the first vehicle to have such a limiter in place when it goes on sale next year.

German news outlet Spiegel reports that Renault CEO Luca de Meo told a general meeting of shareholders last week that excessive speed is the reason for a third of fatal accidents, and therefore Renault and Dacia models should not be able to exceed 112mph.

The Renault Group says it wants to reduce the number of road accidents, and alongside the speed limiter it has announced new advanced driver assistance technology that can warn the driver of hazards ahead and even take over ‘in the event of a clear and present danger’.

Renault’s safety announcement is part of a wider look at the company’s future. For example, it plans to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe in 2040 and worldwide by 2050. The French firm also aims to have 65 per cent of its sales being electric by 2025 and 90 per cent by 2030.

Luca de Meo said: “We consider our environmental and societal responsibility as one of the chapters of Renaulution. Our commitments to reduce our carbon footprint, to the safety of people who use our vehicles, of employees in the workplace, and on inclusion, meet our strategic challenges and support value creation.”

Renault is not the first company to introduce a speed limiter on its cars. In 2020, Volvo also introduced a 112mph limit as part of its safety measures to reduce deaths in its vehicles.