Renault’s electric subsidiary, Ampere, will design a small electric car for Nissan, the group announced this Wednesday, October 30.
The future electric Micra?
The Japanese manufacturer asked Ampere to “study the development of its next electric model in the A segment”, that is, a city car, the management of the French subsidiary detailed in a statement on the occasion of a visit to the Douai factory. (North).
Renault has just launched the production of the electric R5 there, along with those of the electric Mégane and Scenic.
The manufacturing location of the new model planned by Nissan has not been specified.
Renault was also in talks with Volkswagen to collaborate on a similar project, but this unprecedented joint project was ultimately abandoned.
The French manufacturer must now design and assemble the electric substitute for Nissan’s compact Micra, a model a little larger than a city car.
In the midst of dismantling their capital alliance, Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi announced in 2023 that they would focus on specific projects, such as vehicles.
A cousin of the future Twingo
Ampere also confirmed that the electric Renault Twingo, which will be manufactured in the Czech Republic, will hit the market in 2026, “at a price of less than 20,000 euros.”
To reinforce the development of its electric vehicles, Ampere now has a specific office in China. The group “aims to learn from the Chinese ecosystem in development processes,” which has taken the lead over European manufacturers.
The subsidiary confirmed that it was “perfectly in line with its goal of reducing (development) costs by 40% by 2028.”
“We are making a real difference and our goal is to become leaders in Europe and beyond,” said Ampere and Renault boss Luca de Meo.
New battery technology
Ampere has notably managed to integrate the chemistry of LFP (lithium, iron, phosphate) batteries into its vehicles, cheaper, more robust, but less powerful than the ubiquitous NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt).
It promises by 2028 a “next technological leap in chemistry”, with cobalt-free batteries, which “meet the energy density of NMC, the cost and safety of LFP and recharge times of less than 15 minutes”.
The Renault subsidiary must soon begin production of two SUVs on its “AmpR Medium” platform (chassis), which equips the Mégane and Scenic: the Alpine A390 at the Dieppe factory (Seine-Maritime), and a model for Mitsubishi in Douai. from 2025.
Source: BFM TV
