Mercedes Won’t Board Renault’s Electric FlexEvan, Sources SayMeer


by Gilles Guillaume

PARIS (Reuters) – Mercedes Benz Group, Renault’s utility vehicle partner for more than a decade, will not participate in the diamond group’s new FlexEvan electric van project, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, a new illustration from the recomposition of the historic alliances of the French car manufacturer.

“They have their own project,” said one of the sources, referring to the German group’s VAN.EA premium electric utility modular architecture.

A Mercedes Benz Group spokeswoman confirmed “there are no plans to launch a mid-size or large van on any platform other than VAN.EA.”

Renault declined to comment.

The FlexEvan project, scheduled for 2026, is developed for the Renault and Nissan brands and could also be used, according to sources, for Renault Trucks, a subsidiary of the Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo. Renault is keeping the door open to other manufacturers that this innovative modular architecture might be of interest.

After the drop in demand for the diesel engines that the French group sold to its German partner and the end of their cooperation on Twingo-Smart, all that remains today of their numerous joint projects is a van, Citan, a cousin of the Kangoo manufactured in the Renault factory in Maubeuge (Nord) and whose first electric version is being launched.

“The small van family is independent from VAN.EA (…) and we never comment on product life cycles,” Mercedes Benz Group added in response to a question about the future of the program.

The diamond group has long cherished the hope of expanding its cooperation with Mercedes in vans, but in vain.

“It is true that on light commercial vehicles, the essentials have been done,” said another source.

NEVER SAY NEVER

Under the leadership of its managing director Luca de Meo, Renault is now multiplying partnerships outside its alliance of more than twenty years with Nissan and that forged in 2010 with Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes, both embodied by its predecessor Carlos Ghosn.

“Mercedes has always had a very pragmatic approach. We don’t know what the future holds, but if there is a win-win project that both parties want to pursue (…) of course Mercedes is open to discussion,” the second source added.

No concrete potential project has currently been identified, added a third source, while specifying that the new influence of aid schemes such as the American IRA and its European response on industrial location decisions can also give rise to unexpected opportunities, for example in the sharing of factories.

“In the automotive industry, you can never say never,” she said.

Renault and Nissan have initiated a rebalancing of their cross-shareholdings as part of an overhaul of their alliance, the final agreements of which are still under discussion, while the cross-shareholdings between Renault, Nissan and Daimler have been unwound and sold since 2021.

At the same time, it is not with Renault but with the competitor Stellantis that Mercedes has joined forces in batteries within ACC, whose first gigafactory was inaugurated on Tuesday in France.

To stay in the race for car electrification and connectivity, which requires significant investment, Renault has opened up its activities to new outside investors: the American Qualcomm should join Nissan and Mitsubishi in the capital of Ampère (electric and software) when the entity is listed on the stock market, while the Chinese Geely and the Saudi Arabian Saudi Aramco will be co-shareholders of Horse-Power (gasoline engines).

Other investors are also expected for Alpine (sport), Mobilize (car-sharing and financial services) and The future is neutral (circular economy).

(Gilles Guillaume report, edited by Blandine Hénault)

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