Dive into the heart of Renault Group ElectriCity, France’s hub for EV expertise
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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.
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Assembly of modules in the battery workshop of the Douai factory[/caption]
France’s leading hub for electric vehicles
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.
Complementary sites, rooted in history but turned to an EV future
The ElectriCity hub is made up of the factories at Douai, Maubeuge, and Ruitz. Engines that feed into the hub come from the Cléon plant.
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The Megane E-TECH Electric is assembled in Douai on a new production line[/caption]
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.
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The Ruitz factory, which specializes in the manufacture of Renault Group gearboxes, will manufacture the battery trays for future Renault electric models[/caption]
The Ruitz factory is a manufacturing site for gearboxes. Since March 2022, it has been the production site of the DB35 gearbox featured on the entire E-TECH range. Ruitz is also turning more to electric vehicles as it will soon produce the battery trays (housing units for EV battery modules) used on those electric vehicles made in France, including the future Renault 5. Moreover, a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a joint venture between Renault Group and Minth Group was signed in June 2022.
The future EV battery gigafactory, born of a strategic partnership between Renault Group and 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, such as the Renault 5.
The Cléon plant, which works closely with ElectriCity, is a production site for very-high-performance electrical and mechanical components. Since 2015, it has been producing the electric powertrain featured on the Renault ZOE, Twingo E-TECH Electric, Kangoo E-TECH Electric, and Master E-TECH Electric. On 5th July 2022, the site received a new production line for the ePT-160kW electric motor. As of 2024, the plant will have a yearly production capacity of more than 1 million electrified motors, with 500,000 electric motors and 510,000 hybrid engines.
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Like the Renault Mégane E-TECH Electric, the future Renault 5 will be produced in France at Electricity[/caption]
Staying at the forefront thanks to strategic partnerships
In addition to signing agreements for the sustainable sourcing of raw materials such as nickel with Terrafame or cobalt with Managem Group, Renault Group is partnering with major market players in order to hold on its position as leader in electric vehicles. ElectriCity is directly affected by such promising partnerships.
French start-up Verkor will work with Renault Group to co-develop high-performance and low-carbon batteries, with production starting in Dunkirk in 2025.
Minth Group, one of the world's leading automotive suppliers, has signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a joint venture to produce battery trays at the Ruitz factory.