New Renault EV Car To Compete With Nissan Leaf
French brand Renault is about to introduce two new electric vehicles (EVs) by 2022, one of which will be a larger family-sized model that will take on the Nissan Leaf. The other one will be a smaller city car. This expansion into electric vehicles production will help the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance reach its target of selling two million cars a year by 2025.
Renault currently has four EVs in its lineup, though it plans to ramp up the production as it aims to manufacture eight new ones by 2022. Eric Feunteun, the brand’s global electric vehicle program director told Auto Express, that the company will continue to focus on the B-segment, which is “our strongest segment and it is the heart of the European market.”
The plan then is to produce smaller city cars after the B-segment and then slowly go up into the C-segment to increase their coverage. But Feunteun is adamant that the timing is critical because of the price of batteries in today’s market, especially since Renault’s goal is to offer affordable technology. The ZOE, he said, is the most affordable electric car currently on the market.
“Price is the number one deciding factor,” Feunteun added, which is why the rival for Nissan Leaf shouldn’t be expected until 2022 when the prices of batteries are expected to be at the level that Renault is hoping.
The model will likely to be based on the Renault Symbioz concept, which announced the French brand’s vision of electric and autonomous vehicle technology.
This future family-sized model will have the concept’s aggressive features such as the exaggerated daytime running lights at the front and rear ends. It will use the all-new dedicated EV platform, which is also available to all of the Alliance’s partners, that can provide more space for the passengers. The model will possibly ride higher, too, because of the larger battery size to power it up for more than 250 miles.
Source: Auto Express
