"Just find the Chinese and you can get it done"

In recent days, French automaker Renault Group has issued new cooperation announcements, covering various fields such as thermal energy, electricity, and utilities. Renault is setting itself a condition: to succeed, it must cooperate with Chinese companies.

Renault is following Stellantis' example and can no longer afford to ignore the Chinese. It chose Geely Automobile of China, and the two carmakers have established a joint venture HORSE as equals, hoping to join forces to become a leader in fuel and hybrid models. Executives at the French carmaker said the partnership was "very smooth, Geely is really good".

Paris, France, Renault brand electric vehicles, data map. (Visual China)

Renault's latest and most iconic brand with a Chinese connection is Ampere. The Renault-owned electric vehicle arm will work with a Chinese engineering company to build a future-proof electric Twingo for less than €20,000. The styling of the model will be completed in Europe, and subsequent development will take place in China. The Ampere team will travel to China to guide the project, with production and assembly back to Europe for completion.

"Developing an electric version of the Twingo is impossible in France, where it is impossible to produce a complete A-Class for less than €20,000," said one industry insider close to Renault, which would save a lot of time and money by moving to China.

The electric version of the Twingo is scheduled to be launched in 2026, with costs slashed by half. Industry insiders say Renault's strategy is simple: "It's to break down Renault's car business and form an alliance with a Chinese company every time. Because the Chinese do it better, faster, and cheaper, just go to them and you can get it done."

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