Ampere. This is the name of the new Renault group company that will be dedicated to the development and manufacturing of electric vehicles (also software). Although it has been operational since November 1, 2023, it was not until this week that its official presentation was made. Pending its listing on the stock market during the first half of 2024, the subsidiary of the French multinational already has the investment of Nissan and Mitsubishi (partners of the automobile alliance that they make up together with Renault).
The goal of this company is to achieve price parity between electric and internal combustion vehicles before the competition, thanks to a clear roadmap to reduce costs by 40% between now and 2027 or 2028 between the first and the second generation of electric vehicles in the C segment. And currently, the difference in rates between both types of cars is notable, with zero-emission cars being more expensive.
Ampere plans to have a range of seven electric models by 2031, when it expects to sell one million units, with a market share of 10%. The catalog will be made up of the Megane E-Tech (launched on the market in 2022), the Scenic E-Tech (will arrive at dealerships in early 2024 with a range of 625 kilometers), the Renault 5 (will be presented in the first quarter 2024), the Renault 4 (scheduled for 2025), the “Legend” and two more cars (no specific details have been provided).
Of the aforementioned cars, the so-called Legend stands out, an urban model that will sell for less than 20,000 euros (even cheaper than the Renault 5, whose price will be around 25,000 euros) and will be the future new Twingo. Its arrival on the market is scheduled for 2026 and, so far, we have already seen it in prototype form.
Its retro design stands out, which recovers the essence of the original model. Maintains rounded shapes; It has circular LED headlights and 3 indicators on the hood (passenger side) that recall the classic air inlets that the original model had.
Although no details of the car have been provided, Renault CEO Luca de Meo has explained that it will be located below the Renault 5, so we deduce that it is an urbanite that will be around 3.5 meters in length.
This announcement demonstrates the efforts that brands have to democratize the electric car and facilitate its expansion by offering products at lower prices. Volkswagen already said that it would launch a model for less than 25,000 euros and Eleon Musk also confirmed his intention to market an affordable Tesla.
