Electrification past and present
French engineer Gustave Trouvé presents his invention: the electric engine. Thirteen years later, Paul Pouchain manufactures the first hybrid car. The electric car is adopted by taxi fleets in Europe and the United States, internal combustion and electrified vehicles share the road. However, the innovation battle soon moves on as the faster, cheaper petrol car with its greater range begins to pull ahead of the electric car, to dominate completely in the 1920s.
New epoch, a changed scene: climatic stresses, green transition, massive urbanisation, higher oil prices etc. In this context, we have to re-imagine mobility. A cleaner,
more efficient, more sustainable mobility: the electrification of the automotive industry is becoming an unavoidable challenge. Groupe Renault is really quick to understand this and, as a true pioneer of the electric vehicle, picks up the gauntlet in 2009 and unveils the first ZOE in 2012. The Twizy, Kangoo Z.E. and, more recently the Master Z.E. join the most comprehensive electric range on the market.
We are intensifying our electric transition with the creation of a range of hybrid vehicles: the Clio E-TECH and New Captur E-TECH Plug-in make their entrance. Both are electric/IC-powered and equipped with technologies developed by Renault and the Alliance, and by our Formula 1 engineers.
March 2020
We are introducing MORPHOZ, New Twingo Z.E., New Mégane E-TECH Plug-in and the Dacia Spring electric showcar, our new hybrid or electric models, the reflection of our vision for the future of mobility. On one hand, we have MORPHOZ, the modular electric concept car that heralds a future new family of electric vehicles. On the other hand, models that are, today, extending an electrified range for all: an all-electric version of the small city car, a rechargeable hybrid version of the compact estate and the very first electric Dacia: simple, robust and accessible.
Electric standard-bearer
With sales of over 7 million units since its launch in 1995, the Mégane is a benchmark for the compact segments. As for the Twingo, it needs no introduction: the ideal ally for urban driving, sales of this small city car, which first appeared 27 years ago, now total 4 million.
After the Clio and Captur, the electrification of these two key new models is further proof of our desire to make the best technology accessible to the widest possible public.
The arrival of Dacia’s latest addition, Dacia Spring, the most affordable electric vehicle on the market is particularly symbolic of this positioning. A simple, robust yet versatile city vehicle that benefits from the Group’s ten years’ expertise in electrification.
For over 120 years, Groupe Renault’s industrial adventure has been developing in tandem with social changes. To support the energy transition, changing landscapes and the development of smart cities, we have committed fully to the era of electrification. As pioneers and experts in electric vehicles, we are investing massively in greener mobility.
