Tag Archives: Renault

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Renault’s Answer to Range Anxiety: Horse EREV Technology Could Change the Electric Game

All-electric cars still walk a narrow path between promise and practicality. While the technology has matured rapidly, customer hesitation—most notably range anxiety—remains a stubborn obstacle. Renault appears to have acknowledged this reality, and its response comes in the form of extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) technology, developed through Horse, the joint venture between Renault and Geely.

The confirmation follows recent sightings of a camouflaged electric Renault Megane undergoing testing with what appeared to be an additional power unit on board. That unit, it turns out, is not a step backwards but a strategic pivot: a compact internal combustion engine designed not to drive the wheels, but to generate electricity when the battery runs low.

A Retrofit Solution to a Lingering Problem

Horse’s EREV kit is particularly intriguing because it is designed to be adaptable. Rather than requiring a ground-up redesign, the system can be retrofitted to existing electric platforms, effectively transforming a pure EV into a range-extended hybrid. In doing so, it directly targets one of the most significant barriers to widespread EV adoption: the fear of running out of charge far from a plug.

This development arrives at a crucial moment. With Europe easing its stance on the 2035 ban and allowing internal combustion engines to survive in alternative forms, Renault—like many other manufacturers—has recalibrated its long-term strategy. EREV technology offers a way to continue investing in electrification without betting everything on battery-only solutions.

Compact, Light, and Technically Ambitious

At the heart of Horse’s solution is a newly developed three-cylinder engine with a displacement of 999 cc. Despite its small size, the unit is impressively versatile. Featuring direct injection and a turbocharger, it can run on standard unleaded petrol as well as E100 ethanol. Continuous output is rated at 95 hp, with peak power reaching 115 hp, while torque remains a healthy 200 Nm in both configurations.

Crucially, this engine is not intended to dominate the driving experience. Instead, it plays a supporting role, acting primarily as a generator to supply electricity to the battery and electric motor. Horse describes it as a “high power density unit,” and it complies fully with stringent Euro 6d emissions standards.

Packaging is where the engineering effort truly shines. Weighing just 135 kilograms and measuring approximately 700 mm in length and 600 mm in width and height, the engine is compact enough to fit into the front of the electric Megane. How Renault’s engineers have managed this remains an open question, potentially involving a rear-mounted electric motor and a complete rethink of front-end architecture.

Efficiency by a Different Measure

Traditional fuel consumption figures are difficult to apply here, as the engine does not directly propel the car. Instead, Horse quotes consumption in terms of energy generation: 0.49 liters per kilowatt when running on E100 ethanol. While ethanol has a lower calorific value than petrol—meaning higher volumes are required to produce the same energy—real-world estimates still appear promising.

Translated into more familiar terms, consumption is estimated at around 4.4 liters per 100 km for the 95 hp configuration, rising to approximately 5.5 liters per 100 km at 115 hp. For a vehicle capable of operating primarily as an electric car, those numbers are remarkably restrained.

Nearly 700 Kilometers of Freedom

The payoff is range. With the EREV system installed, the electric Renault Megane could achieve close to 700 kilometers of total driving range—enough to all but eliminate the need for meticulous charging planning on long journeys. It’s a compelling middle ground between full electrification and conventional hybrids.

That said, patience will be required. Horse plans extensive validation and durability testing, with a targeted market launch in the first quarter of 2027. If all goes according to plan, the technology could appear either late in the current Megane E-Tech’s lifecycle or debut with the next generation of Renault’s compact hatchback.

In a market increasingly divided between ideology and usability, Renault’s EREV strategy feels refreshingly pragmatic. Rather than forcing customers to adapt to technology, Horse’s solution adapts technology to customers—and that may prove to be its greatest strength.

Source: Renault

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Renault Pulls the Plug on Mobilize Duo, Signaling a Reality Check for Urban EV Experiments

Renault’s vision of the electric city car has taken another sharp turn into the cul-de-sac. Before the Mobilize Duo even had a chance to set tyre tracks on UK roads, the French manufacturer has quietly but decisively killed it off, citing “limited profitability prospects.” Production is ending, the Mobilize Beyond Automotive division is being dismantled, and what was once positioned as the future of Renault Group’s urban mobility strategy has been folded back into the corporate archive.

On paper, the Duo should have been a logical successor to the Renault Twizy, a vehicle that—while never mainstream—became an instantly recognisable symbol of compact electric mobility. The Duo was cleaner in concept, more refined in execution, and designed for a world increasingly shaped by congestion charges, low-emission zones, and app-based everything. In reality, it has become the latest example of how difficult it is to turn clever urban mobility ideas into sustainable businesses.

The Duo wasn’t just another niche EV. It was meant to be the flagship product of Mobilize, a sub-brand launched in 2021 with ambitions that extended far beyond selling cars. Mobilize was Renault Group’s attempt to redefine itself as a provider of “everything beyond automotive”—a catch-all vision that included charging infrastructure, car-sharing schemes, subscription-based vehicle access, servicing ecosystems, and even vehicle remanufacturing.

At its most optimistic, Renault expected Mobilize to generate as much as 30 percent of total group turnover by 2030. That figure alone underlined how central the initiative was to the company’s long-term thinking.

The Duo—and its small van sibling, the Bento—were designed specifically to serve that strategy. These were not cars aimed at private ownership in the traditional sense. Instead, they were conceived primarily for short-term use, urban fleets, and app-driven subscriptions. Think city hopping, last-mile delivery, and shared mobility rather than driveways and finance deals.

Launched last year, the Duo was slated to arrive in the UK in early 2025. That timeline has now been rendered irrelevant. Renault has confirmed it is shuttering Mobilize Beyond Automotive entirely, bringing Duo production to a halt in the process.

The official explanation is telling in both tone and substance. Renault says certain Mobilize activities are being discontinued “either because they have limited profitability prospects or because they do not directly serve the Group’s strategic priorities.” Translated from corporate speak, the numbers didn’t add up, and the strategic moment has passed.

The fallout extends beyond the Duo itself. Renault will also wind down its Zity car-sharing operation in Milan, further underlining a retreat from direct involvement in city-based mobility services. Mobilize Beyond Automotive, as a standalone entity, no longer exists. According to Renault Group, it has “fulfilled its role as an incubator and innovation driver,” helping the company explore new territories, identify viable opportunities, and—crucially—abandon those that didn’t justify further investment.

Not everything carrying the Mobilize badge is disappearing. The name will live on within Renault Group’s financial services, while charging-related operations—such as the Mobilize Charge Pass, the fast-charging network, and vehicle-to-grid functionality—will be absorbed back into the core business. These are areas with clearer revenue models and more obvious synergies with Renault’s expanding EV lineup.

There is, however, a human cost. Reuters reports that around 80 jobs will be cut from the 450 roles associated with Mobilize Beyond Automotive. It’s a relatively small number in the context of a global automaker, but it underscores the abruptness of the strategic pivot.

The timing is also significant. Mobilize was a cornerstone of former CEO Luca de Meo’s ambitious “Renaulution” turnaround plan, which aimed to transform Renault from a volume-focused manufacturer into a leaner, more profitable, and more brand-driven group. With that transformation largely complete, new CEO François Provost is clearly reshaping priorities ahead of a fresh strategic plan due in the first quarter of 2026.

Seen through that lens, the demise of the Duo feels less like a failure and more like a recalibration. Urban mobility remains a challenge worth solving, but the economics are brutal. Low margins, high operational complexity, regulatory fragmentation, and uncertain consumer behaviour have tripped up even the most well-funded experiments across the industry.

The Mobilize Duo will likely be remembered as a smart idea that arrived at the wrong moment—or perhaps one that asked the market to change faster than it was willing to. For Renault, the lesson appears to be clear: innovation is valuable, but only when it aligns cleanly with profitability and scale. For everyone else watching the urban EV space, the message is sharper still—cool concepts alone won’t keep the lights on.

Source: Renault

News

Ford Reenters Small-Car Market With Renault-Built Electric Fiesta Successor

Ford is officially re-entering the affordable small-car arena it voluntarily abandoned—and it’s doing so with help from an unexpected ally. In a move that could reshape its entire European strategy, Ford has struck a landmark deal with Renault to share the French firm’s Ampr EV platform. The partnership will spawn at least two new Ford-badged electric cars starting in 2028, one of which is all but confirmed as the long-awaited successor to the Fiesta.

This isn’t a badge-swap arrangement. Ford insists the upcoming models will be “distinct Ford-branded electric vehicles”, designed by Ford teams, engineered to drive like Fords, and positioned as true alternatives—not clones—to Renault’s reborn 5 and 4.

A New Fiesta—Built in France

The first EV out of this new collaboration arrives in early 2028. It will share its core architecture with the Renault 5 and even roll off the same lines at Renault’s ElectriCity complex in Douai. But the fundamentals—steering feel, driving character, interior UX—are being developed in-house by Ford.

Under the skin, expect the familiar Ampr hardware:

  • Front-mounted motor making 121–215 hp, depending on trim
  • 40 or 52 kWh battery options, converted to more affordable LFP chemistry by the time Ford’s version lands
  • A footprint and mission that squarely place it in the void left by the Fiesta’s 2023 retirement

For a company that once depended on the Fiesta as its European workhorse for nearly half a century, this is nothing short of a comeback storyline.

A Second Model—Likely a Baby Crossover

Model No. 2? A small electric crossover based on the Renault 4. Think of it as a potential successor—or spiritual successor—to the upcoming Puma Gen-E. Timing remains unclear, but development is underway.

Ford Needs These Cars—Badly

If the Renault partnership seems unusually cozy for Ford, that’s because the company is facing real pressure in Europe.

Market share has cratered from 12% to under 4%.
Sales of the Capri and Explorer EVs have been so sluggish that Ford cut up to 1000 jobs at its Cologne plant and reduced the site to a single shift.
And with Focus production ending last month, Ford’s passenger-car lineup in Europe is now effectively a collection of Transit-derived SUVs and MPVs—none of them cheap.

In short: Ford has marched itself upmarket, and the customers didn’t follow.

Bringing back a Fiesta-sized EV at a roughly Renault-5-like price tag (around £22k) is Ford’s most realistic path back to mainstream relevance—and a far more cost-effective one than developing a clean-sheet small EV from scratch.

Why Not Volkswagen?

Interestingly, Volkswagen’s smaller MEB Entry platform was long rumored to be Ford’s way back into the affordable supermini segment. But cost—and speed—won out. Renault’s Ampr platform is cheaper, production-ready, and already under two of Europe’s most eagerly awaited small EVs.

Ford still partners with VW on bigger EVs (Explorer, Capri) as well as commercial vehicles. The Renault deal will extend to vans too, though both companies stress this is still “exploratory.”

Farley and Provost: United by Necessity

Ford CEO Jim Farley calls the Renault agreement “an important step” toward making Ford’s European division leaner, more competitive, and future-proof. Renault Group’s François Provost describes the partnership as a showcase of “competitiveness in Europe.”

Both executives know what’s at stake. Europe’s EV adoption has slowed dramatically, Chinese imports are flooding the budget end of the market, and the EU is considering pushing its internal-combustion ban from 2035 to 2040.

Farley has been especially vocal. In a recent op-ed, he argued Europe’s decarbonization policies are “out of step with market reality,” pointing out the wide gap between mandated EV sales (25%) and the real number (16%). He also criticized the UK’s upcoming pay-per-mile EV tax as the regulatory equivalent of “one foot on the gas, one on the brake.”

His message was clear: without a regulatory “reset,” Europe risks losing its manufacturing base altogether.

Ford returning to the supermini class isn’t nostalgia—it’s survival strategy. The Renault-based Fiesta successor and its crossover sibling won’t just fill holes in Ford’s lineup; they could define Ford’s viability in Europe for the next decade.

Affordable EVs with real Ford personality? That’s the promise.
An industrial blueprint that finally stops the bleeding? That’s the hope.

And if Ford pulls off a proper electric Fiesta—one that drives like a Ford should—it might just rebuild the European loyalty the brand has spent the last five years eroding.

Source: Autocar