Renault SA is pushing ahead with plans to cease vehicle production at a plant outside Paris despite union opposition and government pressure to keep manufacturing in France.

“We’re facing up to reality,” Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said Wednesday after meeting with labor representatives at the Flins plant that’s made 20 different models over almost 70 years. “We all know that the status quo is no longer possible. We need to reinvent Flins.”

The Flins factory, which makes the best-selling Zoe electric vehicle and the Nissan Micra, will transform by 2024 into a site to recycle and retrofit cars and batteries, Renault said in a statement. While production of the Zoe will continue until then, Renault will then consolidate EV output in France at its plant in Douai, where the electric Megane will be made.

Renault executives are treading carefully in the company’s home country due to pressure from President Emmanuel Macron to keep production and research in France in exchange for financial backing from the state to get through the pandemic. Macron delayed a 5 billion-euro loan guarantee to the carmaker earlier this year until it had agreed with unions about two northern factories.

“Flins should continue to produce new cars alongside other activities,” CGT union representative Jean-Francois Pibouleau said by phone.

The CFDT union is urging Renault to reconsider cutting jobs at the site and shifting production to Douai. As many as three quarters of the EVs the carmaker sells in its home country will be built elsewhere five years from now, according to the union.

“Renault can’t destroy production capacity in France while at the same time benefit from state support,” it said in a statement. “We won’t accept it.”

The conversion of Flins is a key part of a broader overhaul Renault has said will lead to roughly 4,600 staff departures in France, including at its engineering division. The loss-making carmaker is aiming to eliminate a total of about 14,600 jobs worldwide and lower production capacity by almost a fifth to cut costs by more than 2 billion euros.

Maintaining EV production in France “is a bet that isn’t won yet,” Senard said. Renault will make its no-frills Dacia Spring model in China.

“We want to remain at the cutting edge of this technology,” CEO Luca de Meo said. “We’ve already shown we can be successful.”

Read more: Bloomberg via Fuel Included News

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A TEENAGER is on a mission to get as many other young drivers using electric vehicles as possible.

Harrison Hughes from Hove is so passionate about electric cars that he saved up to buy a second-hand one before he had even passed his driving test.

The 17-year-old said: “For years I’ve been fascinated that you can drive cars powered by electricity. I got my first job in a supermarket and saved all the money I could to buy a second-hand Renault Zoe.

“Even my driving instructor’s car was electric. I’ve no plans to ever drive a petrol or diesel vehicle.”

Harrison has been following the uptake of electric vehicles from a young age and believes they will become increasingly popular.

However he said cost is a key barrier and insurance prices are still too expensive for many young drivers.

The business student said: “Sadly the insurance prices and car prices haven’t changed much and most people get into an internal combustion engine. This is a step backwards and not where we want to be going.

“My car was just under £5,000, which definitely is not cheap but I’m very passionate about it.

“Obviously not having to pay petrol costs is a huge saving and you don’t even have to pay much in terms of maintenance.

“It costs me 50p to charge my car up overnight.”

Harrison has been sharing his experience of driving an electric vehicle through videos on his Twitter page. He receives a lot of questions about charging points and how much energy is needed for various distances.

Harrison said: “A lot of people who are wrongly informed about electric vehicles think you need to buy a new battery every year for example, or that you can’t drive them through a car wash.

“My battery is six years old and its state of health is still 99 per cent, and the car has done 40,000 miles. It just shows how amazing they are and how long they will last.

“Mine is a nippy city car but there are some which will do 400 miles on one charge.”

Read more: The Argus via Fuel Included News

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Islington Council has added six Renault Zoes to its fleet as part of a gradual transition towards zero-emission vehicles.

The new additions will be used by the council’s Voids Team, who inspect and assess council properties that become empty across the borough’s near six square mile area, within its Housing Proerty Services division.

The arrival of the Council’s first Renault Zoes coincides with the upgrade of its fleet charging infrastructure. The council aims to switch more vehicles within its 500-strong fleet – spanning cars and small vans through to street sweeping vehicles and 26-tonne refuse and recycling collection vehicles – to electric.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Islington Council is committed to making our fleet greener, as part of our continuing efforts to clean the air that local people breathe and to help achieve our goal of creating a net zero carbon Islington by 2030.

“The use of the Renault Zoe by our Voids Team will help to achieve this goal, ensuring that the team are able to travel around the borough in an environmentally-friendly way. The team visits all kinds of locations across the borough, and the convenient size of the Zoe has proved to be hugely beneficial, ensuring that operatives can park easily. The Voids Team have also been complimentary on the ride, range and navigation system within the vehicle.”

Islington Council opted for the Renault Zoe due to the value it represented, its real-world range of up to 245 miles and flexible charging options. The vehicles were procured via The Procurement Partnership Limited (TPPL) framework agreement, which from a choice of vehicles from up to 14 manufacturers identified the Renault Zoe as the best fit for the requirements of Islington Council.

Finished in Glacier White with the addition of Islington’s Council livery, the Renault Zoes were ordered in the Iconic level of trim.

Vincent Tourette, managing director, Groupe Renault UK, added: “Islington Council covers one of the most densely populated London boroughs and we are delighted that it has chosen the Renault Zoe to help in its quest to make the region a cleaner and healthier environment and also support one of its busiest divisions.

“With councils under increasing financial strain and facing the difficult task of needing to lower their environmental impact without affecting their productivity, the Renault ZE electric vehicle range is proving the perfect solution. With our electric vehicle expertise spanning almost 10 years and our EV offering being stronger than ever, local authorities enjoy the peace-of-mind that a Renault electric vehicle is amongst the very best of its kind and that there’s a version that will certainly meet their passenger car and light commercial vehicle needs.”

Available from £26,995, on the road after the Plug-in Car Grant, the Renault Zoe offers a range of up to 245 and, with the 50KW DC rapid charge option, 90 miles of charge can be restored in 30 minutes.

Read more: Fule Included News via FleetNews