Renault Collaborates With Chinese Technical Companies To Develop Affordable Electric Cars

Renault Twingo EV. (Doc. Renault Group)

JAKARTA - After failing to partner with Volkswagen (VW), Renault is now collaborating with engineering companies from China to develop the latest generation of affordable electric cars at prices below 20,000 euros (approximately IDR 352.7 million).

A further style-structuring and engineering project is underway in France, while production of the car will be carried out in Europe. Renault's electric vehicle division, Ampere, will lead the project.

"The development of this car will be carried out with Chinese partners to speed up time and reduce our development costs," a Renault spokesperson said, quoted by Automotive News Europe, Monday, June 3.

The French manufacturer stated that the decision to choose Chinese partners to develop affordable electric cars was taken independently. Renault partnered with a Chinese company to accelerate the process of developing electric vehicles.

Renault CEO Luca de Meo said late last year that the car, dubbed the electric version of Twingo, would be assembled in Europe, to be precise in Slovenia.

Meanwhile, after withdrawing from talks with Renault, VW decided to develop its own affordable electric car in Europe to deal with competition from Chinese electric cars.

Volkswagen Brand CEO Thomas Schaefer said that this affordable electric car for 20,000 euros will continue to prioritize high standards in technology, design, and quality.

In an effort to design an affordable electric vehicle, VW is developing a family electric car for an urban that is similar to the Polo model. VW plans to launch four battery-powered cars from the family at a price of under 25,000 euros (around Rp438.4 million) by the end of 2025. Two new electric hatchback cars will be added to the list, one from VW named ID2 and the other from the Cupra brand.

The other two cars are small SUVs, each from Skolda and VW brands. The four vehicles will be produced in Spain.