Electric cars, because Renault is doubling up
Renault splits up: to electric cars destined for French plants and 10,000 employees while abroad Losanga will continue to produce traditional engines, pending the worldwide switch off (which is not involved). All the details
Renault is undoubtedly going through a very delicate period. Among the Western car manufacturers it was in fact the one most affected by the sanctions that Europe and the USA imposed on Russia and a few days ago the subsidiary AvtoVaz was also seen parading , in fact expropriated without too many ceremonies by the Kremlin. The revenues of the Russian brand in 2021 were just under three billion euros, with an operating profit of 247 million. Considering the French investments in that region, having it blow from under their noses was a bad blow for the Casa della Losanga, so much so as to question Renault's revival plan, Renaulution . And then there is the European Union that presses with the ecological transition. During the week, the Environment Committee of the European Parliament approved (46 votes in favor against 40 against and two abstentions) the Fit for 55 environmental package presented by the Commission which contains the tender for diesel and petrol engines. The European acceleration is pushing Renault and other European manufacturers to split their activities between electric and traditional cars, reserving endothermic engines for more permissive markets. But let's go in order.
WHAT RENAULT DOES WITH ELECTRIC CARS
The plan had already been aired in recent months, but was only made official in the last few hours. In practice, Renault in France will only produce electric cars. To this end, it is preparing numerous gigafactories to produce vehicles and batteries. The headquarters will be ElectriCity, the hub that brings together the three factories of Douai, where 550 million euros have been invested, Maubeuge and Ruitz in the Haute-France region. The Douai plant has been in operation for 50 years and over 10 million vehicles have left its production lines, including some models that have made the history of the group such as the Renault 5, Scénic, Fuego and the Renault 19. Now, in the “City of the electric” ElectriCity, with 10 thousand employees, will be produced 400 thousand electric vehicles a year by 2025.
WILL THE SALE OF ENDOTHERMAL UNITS FINANCE EV R&D?
This, in fact, will be Renault France, which will supply France and the Old Continent with electric and hydrogen cars, in compliance with the new more restrictive rules that should come into force in Europe. Not to say goodbye to endothermic (petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrids), however, the French company has decided that foreign production plants will continue to produce them for all markets that do not envisage an equally rapid and above all brutal exit strategy with polluting engines. . In short, America, South America and Asia ( where Renault continues to forge relations with the Chinese giant Geely ) will be the recipients of the traditional engines, seen so far. It is not the first manufacturer determined to split the productions: even the American Ford has decided to do the same and although Stellantis has recently rejected any hypothesis in this sense, it is easy that the European run-up to EV cars push other manufacturers of the Old Continent to do likewise, especially the Germans.
THE FIT FOR 55 ROAD MAP
The timetable imposed by Brussels foresees a 20% CO2 cut compared to 2021 for 2025, 55% for 2030 and 100% for 2035. The text approved by the Environment Eurocommission will be examined by the plenary assembly of the Parliament between 7 and 8 June. Therefore, in the event of a positive outcome, ratification by the 27 national parliaments will touch, however, not before a new agreement by the European Council, which could hold surprises, especially following the war between Russia and Ukraine.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/auto-elettriche-perche-renault-si-sdoppia/ on Fri, 13 May 2022 09:52:01 +0000.