Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Munich Auto Show
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Technology
    • Segment Analysis
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: All or nothing: Why circular business models require a holistic approach
    • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
    • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
    • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
    • PUBLICIS SAPIENT: The power of post-purchase: How automakers can maximize customer lifetime value
    • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
    • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive News Europe
October 02, 2018 01:00 AM

Renault will cut diesel range in move to hybrids

Peter Sigal
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Renault
    Renault will launch a plug-in-hybrid variant of its Megane compact car.

    PARIS -- Renault will reduce its diesel-car range in Europe as it introduces hybrid versions of its top-selling models.

    The company will launch plug-in hybrid variants of its Megane compact car and Captur small SUV, and a hybrid version of its Clio small hatchback starting in 2020.

    CEO Carlos Ghosn said the diesel powertrain offer at Renault would be cut in half in the coming years as policymakers tighten emissions standards and introduce bans on diesel vehicles.

    "We are obviously headed for the end of diesel," Ghosn told reporters at the auto show here in Tuesday. "It's the end of the game," he said.

    Consumers do not care what kind of powertrain they have in their cars, Ghosn said, adding that they buy based on price, total cost of ownership and resale value.

    "Consumers say, 'Why should I buy diesel when I will be trapped in 3 or 4 years down the road'?" with cars they cannot sell, Ghosn said.

    As a consequence, Renault is reducing production of diesel engines and increasing its offerings of gasoline, hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

    "We will support niches and segments" where diesel will still be popular, Ghosn said, "but obviously today the trend is not in favor of diesel. You have to follow what the technology allows you to do, but at the same time interpret the political trends. They will determine which technology will be a winner."

    Hybrid tech

    Renault's hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, which it will call e-tech, will use two electric motors mounted in series between the transmission and a 1.6-liter gasoline engine. One motor will be used to start the engine and one for propulsion.

    The plug-in hybrid models will have an electric range of about 50 km, while the hybrid Clio will be able to drive short distances on electricity alone. Both systems will be able to recapture energy through regenerative braking.

    Gregoire Ginet, Renault's powertrain product manager, declined to give sales targets, but he said, "The best marketing strategy is to have this technology on our best-selling cars," he said.

    The Clio, Captur and Megane hybrids will be launched in Europe in 2020, just in time to help Renault meet the new EU fleet emissions standard of 95 gram per kilometer that start to take effect that year.

    PSA Group is also introducing a range of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, starting in 2019.

    Tough times

    Some believe the end is near for diesels.

    Continental says 2023 is likely to be the year when the last pure combustion engine platform will be introduced in Europe.

    Nissan Europe Vice President of Product Planning Ponz Pandikuthira told Automotive News Europe earlier this year that "diesel is on the way out if you're a small manufacturer."

    "We have a 4 percent market share. We can see a path to no diesel," Pandikuthira told ANE.

    Those automakers least exposed to diesel are gambling that dropping it altogether will generate positive publicity around alternative powertrains.

    Toyota has said it will phase out diesels from its European passenger car lineup this year and focus on its gasoline-electric hybrids instead. Just 7 percent of Toyota's European sales were diesels last year, according to data from JATO, the lowest of any volume automaker.

    Aston Martin CEO and former top Nissan executive Andy Palmer won’t install a diesel in the supercar maker's forthcoming SUV. "My belief for a long time is that diesel’s life is limited. Ultimately, it's dead," Palmer told ANE earlier this year.

    Reuters contributed to this report

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    EV efficiency takes center stage at the Automotive News Europe Congress
    Recommended for You
    Renault electric car
    EV efficiency takes center stage at the Automotive News Europe Congress
    Renault Flins recycling 2021
    Explore Renault's Refactory at the Automotive News Europe Congress
    Fredrika Klaren Polestar Congress 2023
    Polestar sustainability chief Fredrika Klaren to speak at Automotive News Europe Congress
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Munich Auto Show
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Technology
      • Segment Analysis
      • Cars & Concepts
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress
      • ANE Rising Stars
      • ANE Eurostars
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: All or nothing: Why circular business models require a holistic approach
        • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
        • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
        • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
        • PUBLICIS SAPIENT: The power of post-purchase: How automakers can maximize customer lifetime value
        • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
        • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us