Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

CleanTechnica
Renault Megane E-Tech. Courtesy of Renault.

Cars

Renault Says It Will Sell Only Electric Cars In Europe By 2030

Renault has joined Stellantiis and Ford in pledging to sell only battery electric cars in Europe by 2030.

At a press conference last week, Renault CEO Luca de Meo said his company plans to sell only battery electric cars in Europe by 2030 — and not a moment too soon. He left the door open for Dacia, the low-priced brand in the Renault stable, to continue selling gasoline and diesel powered automobiles after that date, calling it Renault’s Plan B. According to Automotive News Europe, the switch to electricity at Dacia would come at the “last possible moment” in order to preserve Dacia’s reputation for marketing low-priced vehicles, what de Meo calls its “value for money” strategy.

With this announcement, Renault joins a growing list of brands including Peugeot, Fiat, Opel, and Ford of Europe that have all made similar pledges. They have little choice in the matter. The European Union is considering new rules that would require automakers to sell only zero emission vehicles by 2035. The next big step in EU carbon dioxide emissions targets comes in 2025. It will be followed by Euro 7 rules on pollutants that are expected to make it even harder to sell cars with infernal combustion engines. “We have an obligation to participate in the transition” to a carbon-neutral Europe, de Meo said.

Renault 5. Courtesy of Renault.

Renault has just launched the Megane E-Tech, only its second battery-electric passenger car after the Zoe, which came to market 9 years ago. It will be followed by at least four other battery electric models from Renault by 2025, including the small Renault 5, a compact SUV to slot in below the Megane, a small crossover or SUV inspired by the Renault 4, and an electric van.

Renault has been struggling financially of late, losing money consistently quarter after quarter. But de Meo says things are looking up. Development costs for new electric models have been cut by 40% and development time reduced by 25%. “Time is money,” he pointed out

The company’s relationship with partner Nissan has been strained to the breaking point by the Carlos Ghosn affair. De Meo said he had seen Makoto Uchida, his counterpart at Nissan, only once in person since the pandemic began, but that executives from both companies would meet at the end of January and hold a joint press conference afterward. He hopes for a “new dynamic of collaboration” with Nissan in Europe and that, with “common sense,” the brands could launch new products and initiatives together. Yeah, good luck with that, Monsieur de Meo.

 
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
If you like what we do and want to support us, please chip in a bit monthly via PayPal or Patreon to help our team do what we do! Thank you!
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
 

Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
 

Written By

Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Florida or anywhere else The Force may lead him. He is proud to be "woke" and doesn't really give a damn why the glass broke. He believes passionately in what Socrates said 3000 years ago: "The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new."

Comments

You May Also Like

Batteries

Long distances, oilfields, and low salaries abound south of the Rio Bravo. If you ask me, it’s mainly these three conditions that have marked...

Cars

Africa is leapfrogging centralized coal-fired power for electricity generation, but what progress is being made in the uptake of electric vehicles? Green shoots are...

Clean Transport

UK based Vertellus is working to help the transport industry go green through energy transition and decarbonization strategies. Vertellus partners with commercial vehicle operators...

Cars

Originally published on opportunity:energy. 2022 was a year of defeat for electric mobility in Italy. Europe’s fourth largest market struggled to keep up with...

Copyright © 2023 CleanTechnica. The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may not be sanctioned by and do not necessarily represent the views of CleanTechnica, its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.

Advertisement