Electric car pioneer, Renault has set its sights even higher for the future of electric vehicles made in France. The birth of Renault Group ElectriCity in June 2021 was the tangible realisation of a main ambition behind the Renaulution plan: to bring together the industrial sites of Douai, Maubeuge, and Ruitz (nearly 5,000 employees), within a single, EV-specific ecosystem. Here are some stunning images and facts about just how unique the operational hub truly is.
The ambition set for the ElectriCity was to become Europe’s most competitive and efficient EV production hub. The objective being to produce 480,000 electric vehicles every year by 2025, with support from the Cléon site, near Rouen, which supplies the engines for the All-new Megane E-TECH Electric and All-new Renault Kangoo E-TECH Electric. ElectriCity has what it takes to make it.
Located in the centre of Europe, in the heart of demand, Renault Group ElectriCity leverages the company’s longstanding geographical roots in the Hauts-de-France region in Northern France. This legacy is a key driver behind the ecosystem’s growth. Striving to always stand at the forefront of innovation, the hub is constantly finding ways to boost its appeal. As such, it seeks to work closely with research centres, universities, start-ups, and new suppliers. Concentrating together as much of the value chain as possible within a limited geographical area in order to innovate and reduce multiple cost points, leading to benefits for local employment and increased competitiveness. In line with the Group’s Purpose, electric cars must be affordable, sustainable, and popular. ElectriCty is the industrial way to reach that goal.
Since the beginning of 2022, the Douai factory has been producing its first electric vehicle, the Megane E-TECH Electric. A new production line was made especially for the new activity in January 2021. A new batteries assembly workshop is currently under construction and will supply the site starting in 2024. Douai will also take on production of the All-new Renault 5 as of 2024.
The Maubeuge factory is specialised in making vans. In addition to the past three generations of Kangoo, it also makes vehicles for Daimler (Mercedes Citan) and Nissan Townstar. Since 2011, Maubeuge has been manufacturing the electric version of the Renault Kangoo, a pioneer and leader in the European electric-van segment since it was launch. From 2023, all models leaving the factory doors will be electric.
The future EV battery gigafactory, born of a strategic partnership between Renault Group and Envision AESC, has been under construction near the Douai factory since the summer of 2022. It will produce state-of-the-art batteries, at a competitive cost, with a smaller carbon footprint for future electric models.
Source: Renault Group
