Renault strengthens strategy for electrics in the country

Renault’s transformation trajectory through the strategic plan Renaulution, announced at the beginning of 2021, is boosting a wide brand reformulation also in Brazil. Besides the recent product renovation, with the new Duster and Oroch, the launch of the Kwid E-Tech, and the announcement of a R$ 2 billion investment for a new SUV and engine in the plant of São José dos Pinhais, PR, the manufacturer confirms for the second semester of 2023 the electrics Master, Kangoo and new Megane.

The announcement on Monday, 9/5, positions the brand as a protagonist in the offer of battery electric vehicles in the country, with a lineup of automobiles and light commercial vehicles.

“The Renaulution is working and is transforming Renault faster than expected. Not just in Europe, but also in Brazil, a very important market for the company”, said Fabrice Cambolive, the brand’s COO.

The novelties proclaimed by Renault follow the expectation that 100% electric vehicles will gain more and more force in the next years. For 2022, the brand estimates a market of 4.6 thousand units, a share that shall not exceed 1%.

Up to 2030, nonetheless, the brand works with two scenarios: a pessimistic, where the electric sales would be around 5% and an optimistic, with a 13% share of licensing in a market of around 3.5 million units. “We are talking of 400 thousand units a year”, projected Bruno Hohmann, Renault do Brasil’s commercial vice-president.

With the expansion of the electric portfolio, the Master E-Tech and the Kangoo E-Tech shall meet the urban cargo demand, especially last-mile operations. The first one vows a 200 km range and a 13 m³ cargo space. The second one is the new generation of the utility vehicle, which will arrive here without the B pillar, providing a free internal space up to three-meter long, with an 800 kg load capacity, 300km range and 120 cv.

Born to be electric on the Alliance’s CFM-EV platform, the Megane E-Tech is the first model of Renaulution’s second phase in Brazil, the Renovation. The model began to be distributed in France in mid-May and already has more than 30 thousand orders in Europe. It has a 220 cv motor, with a torque of 30,6 kgfm.

The range reaches 300 km and, in a fast charge, can recover 100 km in eight minutes.
Besides the pure electric models, the brand does not discard the option of a flex-fuel hybrid model in its portfolio. “It is being considered for the Brazilian market”, revealed Ricardo Gondo, president of Renault do Brasil.

Behind the electrification offensive, Mobilize, a Renault Group brand, gives support in services. The platform offers financing, insurance, sharing and payment solutions. One of the support options is the Charge Pass, an application that indicates charging stations with a booking option.

Photograph: Renault