Renault in Talks With Volvo Trucks About FlexEVan Partnership
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Renault SA is in discussions with truck maker Volvo AB to collaborate on the French carmaker’s new electric van project to take on rivals such as Stellantis NV, according to people familiar with the matter.
Talks with the world’s second-biggest truck maker for the FlexEVan model, due to go on sale in 2026, are ongoing and there’s no certainty an agreement will be reached, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing information that’s private. The plan incorporates Renault’s partner Nissan Motor Co., the people said.
Media representatives at Renault and Volvo declined to comment.
Renault will share the FlexEVan with Nissan in Europe, the companies said this week, touting the project as one of about 10 they will continue collaborating on as part of their reshaped alliance. This week’s hard-won deal has opened the way for Renault to collaborate with new partners to better tackle the EV shift, which so far include China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. and Qualcomm Inc.
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The new battery-only van will add to Renault’s light commercial vehicle lineup, which includes the Kangoo and sold over 330,000 units last year, and will be based on a so-called skateboard chassis. The vehicle will target urban delivery needs with full connectivity for real-time fleet management, CEO Luca de Meo said on at the company’s capital markets day in November.
Back then, de Meo said Renault planned to create Flexis, a partnership with a component producer to develop a specialized EV platform for the new van family. Renault has already been in talks with logistics operators and big fleet customers to potentially collect pre-orders, the CEO said at the time.
Separately, Renault also has a joint venture with fuel-cell maker Plug Power Inc., called Hyvia, to build hydrogen-powered vans.
Stellantis, which sells vans under the Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Opel-Vauxhall brands, last year delivered over 500,000 light commercial vehicles in Europe, according to a spokeswoman. Global figures will be released as part of its full-year results on Feb. 22.
— With assistance from Rafaela Lindeberg.
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