The French police have ordered 26 units of the Alpine A110 sports car from the Renault group. Vehicles are factory equipped with Valeo's innovative AquaBlade™ windshield wipers. They will serve the so-called rapid response groups of the French gendarmerie.
Unique wipers for a unique vehicle
Renault Group has won a tender for a major vehicle order by the police service refreshing its fleet. An iconic reference to legendary models of the past, the Alpine A110 was designed and made in France. It is lightweight and extremely dynamic, impressing with precise steering and agile cornering. All thanks to the combination of a special “Alpine” chassis with a 252 hp engine.
The new gendarmerie vehicles will serve in special operations where speed and reliability are essential even in the most difficult conditions. For this, Alpine's factory-fitted AquaBlade™ wipers will provide the necessary support. This is a revolutionary wiper system developed and patented by Valeo. It offers the highest windshield cleaning performance in a very short time. This translates into reduced driver reaction time and braking distances in emergencies, of which there will certainly be no shortage when the French police's rapid response groups are on duty.
What distinguishes AquaBlade™ from other wipers?
The Aline A110 police cars will be assigned to groups specializing in chasing down “highway pirates” on French roads or carrying out so-called road safety missions. The police unit that deals with drugs and drug trafficking will also benefit. Participation in dangerous and demanding missions requires superior vehicle performance, in all weather and at all speeds. Valeo AquaBlade™ wipers fully meet such needs. By incorporating the washers into the wiper blade, they allow a large area of the windshield to be effectively cleaned, regardless of the speed at which the vehicle is traveling. The fluid is not splashed on the windshield, but is distributed along the entire length of the wiper blade.
Traditional wiper systems spray the fluid from under the windshield or hood of the vehicle. This solution has many disadvantages, such as uneven distribution of fluid on the windshield surface and a significant drop in performance at higher driving speeds. Moreover, when the windshield washers are used, the fluid reduces visibility for more than a second. Valeo's solution eliminates this problem.
Wipers used in the unique Alpine A110 are also available in the aftermarket
Renault Group decided to choose the Valeo AquaBlade™ windshield wiper system for first assembly on the Alpine A110 vehicles also because of the system's economy and light weight. The spray system allows to reduce the fluid consumption by half. This makes it possible to use a fluid tank that is up to 2 kg lighter. For a sports car like the Alpine A110 with its extremely lightweight body, every kilogram of accessory weight is important.
AquaBlade™ wipers are becoming factory equipment in more and more cars. They have also been available in the aftermarket for some time under the Valeo Silencio and SWF brands.
The French police have ordered a total of 26 Alpine A110s, which will be delivered in stages from early 2022.
