Renault unveiled a more ambitious strategy for electric vehicles (EVs) on Wednesday, betting on new, affordable versions of its iconic small cars of the past to catch up with Volkswagen in the fast-growing sector.
The French carmaker’s Chief Executive Luca de Meo said it would launch 10 new EVs by 2025 and that all-electric vehicles would account for up to 90% of its models by 2030, dropping its reliance on hybrids to hit the target under a previous plan.
At a live-streamed presentation on Wednesday, the company also offered a fleeting glimpse of its new electric “4ever”. Two sources close to the company said it was a revival of the Renault 4 hatchback which went out of production last century.
De Meo said that new, purpose-built electric car platforms and a cluster of production sites in northern France would allow Renault to deliver EVs at a lower cost.
By 2030, Renault and its alliance partners, Nissan and Mitsubishi, will be producing one million EVs globally a year, up from the 200,000 they made in 2020, the French carmaker said.
