Renault Group says it has now designed and built more than one million electric vehicles in France since 2010, with 600,000 of them coming from its ElectriCity hub in the north. The company frames the milestone as proof that competitive, affordable EVs can be made domestically, backed by €13 billion invested since 2021 and a plan to spend a further €13 billion. The Renault 5 E-Tech, priced from €18,810, has become the symbol of the effort.

Renault Group has marked what it calls a major industrial milestone: more than one million electric vehicles designed and produced in France since 2010. According to the company, 600,000 of those have come from ElectriCity, its electric industrial cluster in northern France spanning the Douai and Maubeuge plants.

The manufacturer says its French EV effort now draws on assembly and bodywork sites in Douai, Maubeuge, Dieppe, Batilly and Sandouville, supported by the mechanical plants at Cléon, Ruitz and Le Mans, plus the Flins Refactory dedicated to the circular economy. Renault Group employs nearly 39,000 people in France and says it supports around 35,000 indirect jobs across its supplier network.

A long-running bet on electric

The company traces the shift back to 2010 and early models such as the ZOE and Kangoo ZE. It has since built out a range of electric light commercial vehicles — the Kangoo E-Tech, the Trafic Van E-Tech (described as its first native electric LCV) and the Master E-Tech, produced at Maubeuge, Sandouville and Batilly respectively. Renault Group says it will become the first carmaker in Europe to bring a Software Defined Vehicle to the LCV segment when the New Trafic E-Tech electric launches at the end of 2026.

The transformation has come with retraining: the group says 53,000 employees have been trained in areas such as electrification, battery technology, artificial intelligence and the circular economy through its Reknow University programme.

ElectriCity and the Renault 5

The milestone is embodied by the ElectriCity hub, which recently produced its 600,000th electric car. The standout model is the Renault 5 E-Tech, which the company says starts from €18,810 (a figure that reflects a 95 hp version after a €6,180 government bonus). Renault Group reports it passed 100,000 Renault 5 units by the end of 2025 and expects to top 200,000 this year. Maubeuge, where the electric story began with the Kangoo ZE in 2011, now also builds the Renault 4 E-Tech, which the company says leads its segment in France.

ElectriCity is increasingly multi-brand: alongside Renault and Alpine, its sites now build vehicles for Nissan and Mitsubishi and will soon host production for Ford. Renault Group says 700 permanent jobs were created between 2022 and 2025, with 300 more being recruited by 2027, and points to a new half-time night shift in Douai and 550 temporary hires since last October.

What it means for buyers

Renault Group argues that domestic production keeps jobs and know-how in France while helping to make EVs more affordable. It also stresses running costs, saying a home charge can cost just over €8 and that 100 kilometres of driving can cost under €3 — less exposed to fuel-price swings than a combustion car.

The group, which sold 2.337 million vehicles in 2025, says France remains central to its strategy and that a further €13 billion could follow its mid-term futuREady plan if conditions allow.

Facts: Renault Group EVs in France

  • One million EVs built in France since 2010
  • 600,000 produced at the ElectriCity hub (Douai and Maubeuge)
  • Renault 5 E-Tech from €18,810 (95 hp, after €6,180 bonus)
  • Over 100,000 Renault 5 built by end of 2025; 200,000+ expected this year
  • €13 billion invested since 2021, with a further €13 billion planned
  • New Trafic E-Tech electric due late 2026

The further €13 billion investment is conditional on what Renault Group calls the right conditions being in place.

Source: media.renaultgroup.com