by Gilles Guillaume
PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) – The Renault brand will have almost doubled the weight of electrified vehicles in its European sales in two years, said Fabrice Cambolive, director of operations for the diamond brand ahead of the Paris Motor Show.
“In Europe, we will be at 40% this year,” he told the press during a pre-show event organized in Aubervilliers (Seine-St-Denis). “Our safety net is now with this dual electric-hybrid offer (to manage) the rise of electric and other motorizations between now and 2030.”
The Renault group, whose diamond brand must become 100% electric in 2030, must detail on November 8 its strategy aimed at creating an entity dedicated to electricity and software, the sector of the future of the automotive industry, and another specialized in the historic business of internal combustion engines.
In 2021, electrified models represented around a quarter of the Renault brand’s European sales, and around a third in the first half of 2022.
“For several months, we have observed a drop in orders on a European scale of around 20%”, continued Fabrice Cambolive about market trends.
Despite this decline, attributable in particular to the inflationary context, the registrations of new vehicles in Europe should come out “more or less” flat throughout 2022, he added, provided that the brands manage to deliver their important books. orders despite shortages of electronic components.
Dethroned by newcomers like Tesla and Chinese manufacturers, or by the ambitions of heavyweights like Volkswagen and Stellantis, Renault hopes to return to the electric race with its new Mégane and two small iconic models, a new Renault 5 and a new Renault 4, a small SUV using the codes of the 4L unveiled at the Mondial.
The 89th Paris Motor Show opens its doors until Sunday, a sign of the times in a reduced format. The previous edition of 2018 – the 2020 meeting having been canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic – had attracted more than a million visitors. (Gilles Guillaume, edited by Nicolas Delame)