Renault
Compare Renault…Designs, manufactures, and sells passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and related services under the Renault, Dacia, and Alpine brands.
SectorsElectric Vehicles
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RenaultDesigns, manufactures, and sells passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and related services under the Renault, Dacia, and Alpine brands.
| Date / Milestone | Status / Capital | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-01. Renaulution strategic plan launched | Pre-Ampere | Luca de Meo becomes CEO July 2020; Renaulution plan addresses Renault Group profitability via brand + powertrain re-prioritization |
| 2022-11-08. Capital Markets Day. Ampere announced | EUR 8 to 10B target valuation | Plan to spin out BEV + SDV business as Ampere; Power (ICE + LCV) becomes separate unit; Mobilize becomes mobility services; Horse is the planned ICE-engine JV |
| 2022-Q4. Strategic partners committed | Qualcomm + Google + LG Magna | Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit, Google Maps + Android Automotive, LG Magna for E-motor + inverter components; SDV stack co-developed with Google |
| 2023-04. Nissan + Mitsubishi indicated minority investment | Up to EUR 600M Nissan, EUR 200M Mitsubishi | Alliance partners would take pre-IPO stakes alongside Renault Group; reaffirmation of Renault-Nissan Alliance future |
| 2023-06. Ampere headcount + plant assignments | ~10K employees, 5 plants | Cleon (E-motor), Douai (Megane + Scenic), Maubeuge (R4 BEV), Mulhouse (R5 BEV), plus battery JV at Verkor (Dunkerque) for cells |
| 2023-11. R5 E-Tech revealed | First Ampere-era launch | Targeted EUR 25K starting price; Megane and Scenic E-Tech already in market; SDV architecture debuts |
| 2024-01-29. Ampere IPO formally cancelled | Plan abandoned | Renault cites: weak EV market sentiment, declining BEV growth rates across Europe, disappointing institutional pre-IPO investor interest; subsidiary structure to be unwound |
| 2024-Q2. Ampere folded back into Renault Group | Subsidiary dissolved | Engineering, plants, BEV product lines all return to Renault Group BEV operations; SDV partnership with Qualcomm + Google continues but at parent level |
| 2024-Q3. CEO Luca de Meo announces departure | Leaves July 2025 | de Meo cites successful turnaround; some commentary links exit to Ampere setback; Fabrice Cambolive becomes interim then permanent CEO |
| 2025. R4 E-Tech launches; Twingo BEV planned 2026 | BEV expansion continues | Without Ampere structure; legacy Renault model approach with Cleon E-motor + Verkor cells; SDV partnership unchanged |
| Lessons captured | Editorial | Ampere failed because (1) European EV market growth stalled 2023 to 2024, (2) standalone EV-subsidiary valuations collapsed industry-wide (Ford Model e EBIT losses, Lucid stock decline), (3) Renault could not justify separating BEV from ICE during a profit-driven turnaround. Ampere was a 2022-conceived strategy executed against a 2024 environment that no longer rewarded BEV-only equity stories. |
$RNLSY· Dacia, Alpine
A leading European EV player with the Megane E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech, and the iconic Renault 5 E-Tech revival alongside budget-friendly Dacia Spring. Delivered ~200K EVs in 2024 across the Renault Group including Dacia and Alpine brands. Separated its EV and software operations into Ampere (later reintegrated) to accelerate electric development while leveraging its strong European retail network.
Key Milestones
Renault founded in Boulogne-Billancourt by Louis Renault and his brothers: France's largest automaker for most of the 20th century; Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance forms 1999 under Carlos Ghosn.
Zoe launches in Europe: becomes the continent's best-selling EV through the mid-2010s. Battery-leasing model lowers purchase price but later confuses consumers; sales decline as competitors offer simpler ownership.
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance announces 'Drive the Future' plan with 12 new BEVs by 2022: at the time the world's largest auto alliance commits to becoming an EV leader, well before VW Dieselgate response.
Megane eVision concept previews the future Megane E-Tech: Renault's pivot from cheap-and-cheerful EV (Zoe) to design-forward dedicated EV platforms.
Renault 5 E-Tech concept revealed at IAA Munich: an electric homage to the iconic 1970s hatchback, signaling Renault's heritage-driven design strategy for European mass-market EVs.
Megane E-Tech goes on sale in Europe: Renault's first bespoke EV after a decade of Zoe; built on the new CMF-EV platform shared with Nissan Ariya.
Spins off Ampere as Renault's dedicated EV/software entity: aiming for IPO; Ampere targets 1M EVs by 2031 and is intended to give Renault a 'Tesla-like' valuation premium for its EV business.
Cancels Ampere IPO citing weak market conditions: absorbs Ampere back into Renault Group; signals broader European retreat from EV-only-spinoff strategies as luxury EV demand softens.
Renault 5 E-Tech production version unveiled at Geneva Motor Show: targeted at sub-€25K mass-market segment and a defining bet that European EV sales need an emotional, affordable hero product.
Renault 5 E-Tech reaches first customers: wins 2025 European Car of the Year, validating Renault's heritage-EV bet and providing the only bright spot in 2024 European EV demand softness.
Renault and Nissan formally loosen Alliance cross-shareholdings: Renault stake in Nissan reduced toward 15%; the Alliance evolves toward operational partnership rather than the deeper integration that defined 1999-2018.
Renault 4 E-Tech launches: second heritage-revival EV after R5 success; Renault becomes the European OEM most successfully commercializing affordable EVs as VW/Stellantis volume falters.
