Compact crossover leads Renault's next wave of EVs

PARIS -- Renault will have two dedicated full-electric vehicles in the compact segment by 2025 with the launch of a crossover model following the Megane-e hatchback introduction at the end of this year.

The crossover is one of six new EVs shown as silhouettes last week by CEO Luca de Meo as part of Renault Group’s "ElectroPop" presentation. It is part of de Meo’s strategy to increase Renault’s presence in the more-profitable compact segments under his Renaultion turnaround plan.

The other coming EVs are the Renault 4ever, inspired by the classic Renault 4 of the 1960s; three models from sports-car brand Alpine; and an all-new light-commercial vehicle. 

Under former CEO Carlos Ghosn, Renault invested 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in electrification in the early 2010s, and the 2012 Zoe was one of the first mass-market full-electric vehicles. 

But until last year, the Zoe remained the only passenger EV that the group sold. Rivals such as Peugeot and Opel have launched full-electric versions of flagship models (the 208 and Corsa), while VW is launching a line of separate electric models, starting with the the ID3 compact hatchback and ID4 compact crossover. 

Renault launched two full-electric minicars, the Dacia Spring and Twingo ZE at the end of last year based on existing models, but – similar to VW’s strategy -- the group’s next models will be designed around an electric drivetrain from the ground up and co-exist with existing internal combustion/hybrid models for several years.

Here is what we know about Renault’s EV product plan:

Renault brand: The Megane-e will be launched by early 2022, on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF-EV platform, with 450 km (280 miles) of range. It will be followed by a crossover, Renault confirmed last week. 

The Zoe will be replaced in early 2024 by the retro-themed Renault 5 small hatchback, announced earlier this year, on the CMF-BEV platform, which uses many components from the existing CMF-B platform that underpins the Clio and Captur, as well as Dacia Sandero. It will followed on the same platform by the 4ever, which is likely to be more of a crossover design, similar to the spirit of the 1961 Renault 4.

Light-commercial vehicles: Another model shown last week is a light-commercial vehicle. "This is indeed a completely new future vehicle, but it is too soon to give more details," a Renault spokesman said.

Renault currently has two electric vans, the new-generation Kangoo and the Master, but the medium-size Trafic remains internal combustion-only.

Alpine: The sports-car brand will phase out the current A110, which has only a gasoline engine, in favor of a sports-car co-developed with Lotus. A "hot hatch" derived from the Renault 5 will use a more powerful battery and 215-hp electric motor, Renault Group’s head of engineering Gilles Le Borgne told Auto Express magazine. Finally, an Alpine SUV will likely have more than one electric motors to improve handling, including torque vectoring at the rear, Le Borgne said.

De Meo told journalists decisions would be made "in the next several months" about the future of internal-combustion focused models such as the Clio beyond their current life cycle. "We haven't made firm decisions on every detail of the products beyond 2027, because the urgency is to put the Renaultion products on the rails," he said. "I'm pretty happy with the work we've been doing over the past 12 months. For the next wave of models, I’m confident that Renault will have the strongest lineup in many, many years. That's my feeling as a car guy."