- Renault Group will introduce 36 new models by 2030 including 16 new EVs.
- 800-volt RGEV platform offers 466-mile EV range, 879 with range extender.
- Aims to cut EV costs by 40 percent and development times to just 24 months.
Renault has decided the best way to prepare for the future is to literally name its strategy after it. The company’s new futuREady plan promises dozens of new models, cheaper EVs, and dramatically faster development cycles as the French automaker tries to China-proof its business and become Europe’s “benchmark” carmaker.
The strategy builds on the Renaulution turnaround plan launched in 2021, which helped stabilize the company after several turbulent years. Now Renault wants to turn that recovery into long term growth with a roadmap that stretches through the end of the decade.
Related: Renault’s Making A Jimny, But Even The French Can’t Have It
The headline figure is simple enough. Renault Group plans to launch 36 new models in the next five years, including 22 in Europe and 14 for international markets. Electrification will be a lynchpin, with 16 of those European launches set to be fully electric.
Hybrids will still have a role, though. Renault says hybrid technology will remain in its European lineup beyond 2030 while continuing to expand globally where charging infrastructure isn’t yet ready for a full EV takeover.
Dacia Expansion
Each brand has its own role in the plan. Renault aims to strengthen its European position while expanding internationally, targeting more than 2 million annual sales by 2030 with half delivered outside Europe, including a production version of the chunky Bridger combustion SUV set to do battle with the Suzuki Jimny in India (see gallery below).
Dacia will stick with its familiar value formula but add more electrification. By the end of the decade, about two thirds of its sales are expected to be electrified and the brand will expand further into the larger C segment.
Alpine will carry the performance torch and a new generation of the A110, this time as an EV, is coming alongside newer models like the electric A290 and A390. And the brand’s boss Philippe Krief confirmed that the electric A110’s platform will also be able to handle combustion power. But if you were hoping to buy one in the United States, Renault’s latest strategy rules out a North American adventure for any of its brands.
Compact Upgrade
One of the most important pieces of the plan is Renault’s upcoming RGEV medium 2.0 electric platform destined for its next generation of compact, C-segment vehicles. This architecture brings 800 volt charging technology to the company for the first time and promises some impressive numbers, including a 40 percent reduction in build costs. Renault teased its possibilities, and also the look of the next Espace, with the the R-Space Lab, a slippery EV concept (shown below).
Renault says EVs built on the platform could deliver up to 466 miles (750 km) of range, while a range extender version could stretch that figure to around 879 miles (1400 km). Power won’t be lacking either. The next-generation electric motor is expected to deliver up to 271 hp (275 PS).
Keeping Up With China
Software is another big piece of the puzzle. Future Renault models will move toward software defined vehicle architecture that allows most functions to be updated over the air and eventually managed by artificial intelligence systems. The company also wants to speed things up dramatically. Renault aims to reduce development cycles for new vehicles to just two years, something that will be crucial to keeping pace with Chinese automakers.