2024-03-05 07:10:01
It has enjoyed the good years of its manufacturer since its launch in 1972, the electric R5 will arrive on the roads of France in 2025. A renaissance which is being prepared on the lines of the Renault factory in Douai
It’s one of the most anticipated cars of the year which has just been presented at the Geneva Motor Show: the electric R5. A four-seater city car, with a range of around four hundred kilometers, in a choice of flashy colors. But above all a line reminiscent of an iconic model, the Renault 5, the sixth best-selling car in history in France.
It will be assembled at the Ampère factory, Renault’s electrical subsidiary, in Douai. When the first models arrived in production a few weeks ago, the emotion was palpable.
“It was a magical moment, testifies David Dos Santos Ferreira, manufacturing assembly workshop manager. The oldest will tell you. The rebirth of an icon makes sense for the future.”
In a twist of fate, it was also on the Douai site that the first Renault 5 was produced in the 1970s. Five and a half million copies were sold.
The assembly lines are occupied by the electric R5. • © JM Vasco / FTV
Beyond this highly anticipated model, the Douai site is experiencing a revolution. In fact, since last year it has completely reconfigured its assembly lines to produce only electric models in a modular manner. R5, Megan E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech and soon an Alpine for the Renault range as well as a Nissan Micra. As a result, seven hundred and fifty additional jobs will be created by the end of June. The objective is to reach 400,000 vehicles per year by 2025.
“It’s a source of pride, especially in relation to the jobproclaims team leader Sandy Caboche. We experienced a disaster region, now we can say that it is coming back to life and we are proud that this is being done in Douai.”
Eighty percent of the factory’s suppliers are now located in France. The site is therefore connected with the local territory as well as its past with the return of the R5.
How can we convince motorists to switch to electric, when prices still remain high? “A Renault Clio, a Renault 5 all start at 25,000 euros. A hybrid Clio is around 24,000 euros. We are in the process of bringing electric to the same price as the gasoline hybrid”, summarizes the director of industrial operations, Luciano Biondo.
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It is in Douai that the secrets of the brand new electric R5 are hidden. Three sixty vehicles are assembled every day. • ©A. Moreau / JM Vasco / FTV
2024 will therefore be a pivotal period for the site. Good news for the diamond brand, the Scénic has just been voted car of the year at the Geneva Motor Show, ahead of BMW’s new 5 Series sedan.
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