Renault has endorsed moves in France and European Union to increase the share of locally sourced parts in electric vehicles sold in Europe, while cautioning EU policymakers against setting content levels that carmakers cannot reasonably attain.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Renault chief strategy officer Josep Maria Recasens said the group favours a 60% local-content requirement that would apply to all passenger vehicles, rather than President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for a 75% threshold focused solely on battery-electric models.
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Reaching high local-content ratios is complicated by the cost and sourcing of battery packs, which remain the most expensive element in EVs and are still largely manufactured outside Europe.
“If you don’t have a local battery, it might be difficult to reach 60% of local content due to the weight of the battery,” Recasens said. “But if you consider the entire fleet, it becomes achievable.”
Renault’s position aligns with Macron’s wider push during his visit to China earlier in December, where he promoted a European preference strategy aimed at supporting regional industry.
At the same time, the French stance stands in contrast to calls from Germany and Italy to soften the EU’s planned 2035 phase-out of new internal combustion engine car sales.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in October he would resist the current deadline, arguing for continued room for plug-in hybrids and range extenders beyond 2035.
France, together with Spain, had been among the most vocal defenders of the original 2035 target before Paris shifted tone amid concerns over factory employment and industrial competitiveness.
Recasens urged the European Commission to create a shared raw materials pool to help European manufacturers secure supplies, citing anxiety over China’s strong position in rare earths and other critical inputs.
He also argued for exemptions from the 2035 fossil-fuel phase-out for commercial vehicles and for the banking period for emissions credits to be lengthened from three to five years.
The debate over industrial policy and trade measures has intensified as European authorities move to impose higher tariffs on some electric cars imported from China. BMW noted earlier in December that Chinese-made plug-in hybrid models currently entering the EU do not attract extra duties, while electric cars can be subject to tariffs exceeding 40% for some producers.
Recasens said Chinese competitors have already discounted the ability of traditional European manufacturers to adapt.
“The Chinese have already written us off,” he said. “They believe we won’t be able to transform ourselves. So this motivates me to prove that the old world can transform itself.”
