It’s a rumor that should be taken with a grain of salt, but according to German newspaper Handelsblatt and Automotive News Europe, citing multiple sources close to the matter, there have been initial contacts between Volkswagen and Renault regarding a potential partnership for the development of an electric vehicle “Low cost”i.e. less than 20,000 euros.

These discussions will continue “initial stage” and they can fall apart very quickly if the first agreements are not found. According to Handelsblatt, the aim would be to produce between 200,000 and 250,000 cars a year.

Stand up against China?

The need for European manufacturers to produce and sell electric cars at affordable prices comes at a time of stagnation in the race to switch to electric cars.

In recent days, we learned about the trip to Beijing by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to find a solution to rebalancing the huge trade deficit of 400 billion euros. , with China, particularly through the car market and the heavy subsidies the country has given to local manufacturers to allow them to sell cheaper cars even on the other side of the world.

The goal of an affordable car for Renault and Volkswagen

The fact that the European industry has realized that the high profitability of electric energy provided by high-end cars is no longer enough is also indirectly demonstrated by the recent speech of the president of ACEA (Association of European Automobile Manufacturers), Luca de Meo.

At the end of November, during a press conference, Luca de Meo stated that we must “Work with policymakers to create the conditions necessary to produce a variety of zero-emission models, including small and affordable electric vehicles, which will be cost-effective to produce even in Europe”.

“At the moment, electric cars are still too expensive for many customers”. Luca de Meo believes that by reducing size and weight, “with smaller batteries and adequate range, about 400 kilometers”prices are expected to fall.

Over the next two years we will have to see growth “in segment B, like Polo and Clio” (interestingly, Renault and Volkswagen – ed.), with 100% electric engines. It is also because it will become electric “link” in Europe : “This is written in the regulations. There is no going back, of course there is a debate about zero-carbon alternative fuels, but it is a fact that electric cars will become the majority in Europe. »

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