French carmaker Renault announced the first steps to set up a circular economy around electric vehicles.
Renault’s Flins facility currently producing its bestselling Zoe EV will be transformed into, as Renault calls it, a ‘Re-Factory’ by 2024, focused on refurbishing and converting older ICE models to electric. It will be done through a multi-faceted approach to achieve a negative CO2 balance by 2030. Production of its newest EVs, the electric Mégane will be moved to a new facility in Douai.
The efforts will center around four aspects aimed at switching to electric powertrains with an eye on sustainability.
The Re-trofit division will focus on extending a vehicle’s lifespan, where used vehicles will be refurbished. Cars and vans running on ICEs will be retrofitted with electric or hybrid engines to bring down emission levels while partnerships with manufacturers will ensure the availability of desired repair parts. A 3D printing solution will also be employed for obscure parts no longer in production.
The Re-energy aspect of the program will tackle the development of “applications arising from electric batteries and new energies to an industrial scale,’ including battery life optimization as well as second-life applications. Additional solutions for energy storage, end of life battery management will be worked at, while also furthering the development of technical and supply solutions for new energy sources such as hydrogen.
The Re-cycle division will act as an umbrella, bringing together all of the company’s activities and aiming to increase the use of recycled parts and materials.
Lastly, the Re-start division will address the need for further research and the development of industrial know-how that ties in with the proposed circular economy.
All of this will reduce the turnaround time to refurbish vehicles from 21 days to six. And worth mentioning, an additional 3000 workers will be employed to this end.
It should be noted that this move comes under protest from the French Democratic Confederation of Labour who opposes the job cuts from the Flins plant, happening in spite of the Zoe proving to be a hit for the manufacturer.
Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Renault sees the situation differently, “The Re-Factory is a new breath of life for Renault, its employees and for the entire region’s dynamism. This project is based on our pioneering commitment to the circular economy, and meets our ambition to positively transform our industry.”
The Zoe’s fantastic sales figures have even enabled Renault to open up its emission pool to other manufacturers. Given that Tesla makes bucket loads of money from selling emission credits, going all-in on electrification may be the way forward for the French automaker.
To be continued…
