Renault plans to separate its thermal and electric activities in the coming years. A specific entity could then emerge.
There will be changes at Renault! As we know, the days of thermal cars are now numbered, while the European Union simply wants to ban their sale by 2035. A decision which then led manufacturers to act and develop new electric cars to be offered to their customers in the coming years.
And there is a rush, because in addition to this ban, Europe implemented CAFE regulations last year, severely punishing brands whose range emits too much CO2. Suffice to say that the only solution seems to be zero-emissions, while the hybrid could also be doomed in the near future.
Two distinct poles
Hence the idea for some manufacturers to create new divisions dedicated to electricity. We think in particular of Hyundai with Ioniq, but the Korean firm is not the only one to follow this path, since Renault would also think about it. During the presentation of the 2021 financial results (relayed by Caradisiac), the boss of the brand Luca de Meo has indeed hinted very subtly.
Carlos Ghosn’s replacement would study “the opportunity to bring together its 100% electric activities and technologies within a specific entity”, which would in particular call on dedicated teams. The idea would then be to do the same with the activities around heat engines, in order to develop these technologies in which De Meo still strongly believes.
A physical separation
For the director of the Renault group “electric motorization and thermal motorization are two different sports. In the first, there are technological breakthroughs to be made, and the market is growing strongly. In the second, there are no massive investments to be made, and the activity generates margins”. Hence the importance, according to him, of separating the two activities.
A distinction which will also be geographical, since the diamond brand is studying the possibility of separating the teams. Those working on electricity should indeed be based within the future Electricity pole which will bring together the factories of Maubeuge, Ruitz and Douai.
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