Upcoming Renault 5 EV Will Be Manufactured At The Same Plant As The Original

Having revived an iconic name with the electric 5 hatchback, Renault has also decided to built its upcoming EV at the same site where the original Renault 5 was made.

During the concept’s unveiling, Renault Group boss Luca de Meo said that the goal was for the production variant to be built in France. Company president Jean-Dominique Senard now confirms that the site in question would be the existing Douai plant in northern France, according to Autocar.

“It’s a commitment, that’s where we’re going to make it,” he said while speaking to French TV channel BFM Business. “We intend to develop this North Pole [for EVs] with the Maubeuge-Douai plant. These factories, it’s a question of making them completely used; they must be filled as full as eggs.”

Read: Renault Debuts New Mobilize Brand With Tiny EZ-1 Electric Two Seater

Senard also said that the Group wants to build 400,000 EVs per year in France, most of which up north, although such an accomplishment would be contingent on building a battery factory nearby.

One of the first models will be a production version of the Renault Megane eVision concept that will be based on the CMF-EV platform. It will go on sale in 2022, followed a year later by the Renault 5 EV, which will use an electric version of the CMF-B platform.

As for the original Renault 5, it was built at the Douai plant from 1974 until 1981. The same facility also manufactured the Renault 14, Fuego, Renault 9, 11, 21, 19 and later on the Megane. Currently, the plant has around 3,000 employees and produces the Talisman, Scenic and Espace.