On Thursday, January 23, the Karidea Think Tank dedicated to automotive retail, invited 37 multi-brand distribution groups to an exclusive discussion session with Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, accompanied by members of the Leadership Team. For the occasion, the Group opened the doors of its design center, in the heart of the Technocentre: presentation of the new products of its 4 brands Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Mobilize, with a focus on vehicles reflecting innovations that meet the growing need for low-carbon and efficient mobility.
The Think Tank was held for the first time at a manufacturer’s premises to address the main challenges of distribution and the transformation of the network essential to meet the new challenges of the automotive industry.
Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, said: “The automotive industry is facing an unprecedented transformation. Faced with these challenges, we consider our network and our partners more than ever as a strategic asset for the Group and for the success of our brands. There is no substitute for being physically present with our customers, in the field. At the beginning of 2024 we reaffirmed our strong partnership with the network, true to our win-win approach and while the Renaulution strategy has demonstrated its full potential for our dealers. This event with Karidea was an opportunity to reaffirm our desire to fully engage with our partners to seize the opportunities opened up by the changes in the automotive value chain.”
“A big thank you to Luca de Meo for opening the doors of his design center and especially for this great first consisting of exchanging with the 37 European groups brought together by Karidea around the major challenges of distribution. It was an exchange of unique density and richness, as shown by the unanimously enthusiastic reactions of the participating Groups at the end of the meeting. Understanding the areas of transformation in distribution, moving from major trends to very concrete subjects, identifying the challenges but also the opportunities for distributors in the medium term, the exercise proved to be totally exciting,” Jean Triomphe, founder of the Karidea Think Tank.
The product at the heart of the strategy
The “Renaulution” strategy has contributed to the strong growth in sales and profitability of our distribution network. Renault Group has put product back at the heart of its strategy by working on the complementarity of its four brands and by favouring a value-based commercial policy. The Group has launched more cars than the company has ever done in 125 years: 22 launches in 3 years. This new, modern range is positioned at the heart of the European market, with more than one in two launches in the C segment or above.
The Group’s horizontal approach allows us to capitalize on the traditional strengths of a car manufacturer while seeking innovations to better meet the new needs of our customers with partners at the highest level in the field. In addition to the products to come in 2025, the Group presented future projects such as 100% electric commercial vehicles on an unprecedented basis, more modular and connected than ever, making it possible to better meet the needs of last-mile transport, as well as Renault Emblem, an eco-designed family demo car – both embodying the challenge of decarbonization.
A network fully integrated into new value chains
Renault Group has a long tradition of exchange with its sales network, and regularly shares its vision on the evolution of its strategy, including that of distribution, in order to fully integrate it.
- Technological innovation and artificial intelligence: with more than 20 use cases, AI is already a reality throughout the Group, giving it speed and agility in a sector in full transition, but also in vehicles, particularly in driver assistance systems. AI is also being deployed in the network (customer relations, sales and after-sales tools) to improve customer satisfaction and develop commercial activities.
- The transition to electric: Ampere, a pure player in electric vehicles and software, is reinventing the Renault brand and positioning it at the forefront of the new era of zero emissions. Mobilize is a real lever for the network, which supports customers in this transition from electric by facilitating the charging experience (sale of charging stations, distribution of Charge Pass or installation of fast charging stations)
- The circular economy: second-hand and reused parts represent a real opportunity to meet a growing societal expectation. The Future Is NEUTRAL is an ideal platform to support the network in these changes.
SOURCE: Renault Group
