As part of its “Renaulution” plan, Renault Group announced on February 18, 2022, that it had launched a strategic review of its all-electric and combustion engine activities and technologies in order to enhance their efficiency and operational performance. The aim of these strategic reflections is to adapt each technology, drawing on the group’s strengths and expertise on its various markets and within the Alliance.
Renault Group has strong ambitions in EV, with the objective for the Renault brand to be 100% EV for passenger cars in Europe by 2030. In order to accelerate this transition and support the fast-growing electric vehicle market, the group is studying the creation of an Electric Vehicles and Software entity in France. Renault Group has made the strategic choice to base the production of the main components in the electric mobility value chain in France, which illustrates its determination to develop high-tech activities in high-potential markets and to position itself as the leader in electric cars in Europe.
The scope of the study includes electrical and software activities and technologies across the entire value chain: engineering (part of the Technocentre, Renault Software Lab, Lardy and other sites under study in the Paris region), manufacturing (Electricity, Cléon) as well as the support functions linked to these activities.
The entity dedicated to the electric vehicle could have more than 10,000 employees by 2023.
This autonomous entity would have a business model adapted to the specificities of electric vehicles and would be able to forge partnerships in new technologies and services.
At the same time, Renault Group is also studying the possibility of combining its ICE and hybrid engine and transmission activities and technologies based outside France within a specific entity. In view of the innovative capabilities and significant improvements in emissions reduction of this type of vehicle, Renault Group is convinced that thermal hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles have significant long-term prospects and outlets in Europe and on international markets, and that its technologies, such as E-TECH, represent real growth levers. By bringing together its activities and technologies related to thermal and hybrid engines and transmissions, Renault Group aims to strengthen the potential of its technologies but also to contribute to the development of low-emission fuels, LPG, etc., and thus create a world leader in Powertrain for the automotive industry.
The scope of the study includes ICE and hybrid engines and transmissions – excluding chassis – :
- Powertrain plants: Motores (Spain), Seville (Spain), Cacia (Portugal), Bursa (Turkey), Pitesti (Romania), Curitiba (Brazil), CorMecanica (Chile), PFA (Argentina)
- Engineering and R&D: RTS (Spain), RTR (Romania and Turkey), RTA (Brazil)
- Support functions related to these activities
This entity would draw on the expertise of around 10,000 employees – outside France – by 2023.
In order to create a global and competitive world leader for the benefit of the Renault Group, its Alliance partners and, potentially, other carmakers and customers, this Powertrain entity would develop industrial and technological partnerships at the cutting edge of the sector.
Consultations with employee representative bodies on these studies are being carried out with all the functions concerned at group level and in the countries involved, and the development of these strategic reflections will continue through social dialogue.
Renault Group is thus accelerating the implementation of its “Renaulution” strategic plan and will present the progress of these studies at a Capital Market Day in the fall of 2022.
SOURCE: Renault Group
