Renault to Build Dongfeng-Badged Electric Vehicle in China

Kuala Lumpur: Renault and Dongfeng's joint venture, the Dongfeng Renault Automotive Company (DRAC) has revealed its plans to build its first electric vehicle in China. This announcement was made on the occasion of the visit of Dongfeng Motor Corporation Chairman, Zhu Yangfeng at the Renault R&D centre. Earlier the company was tight-lipped on its specifications, but now they have confirmed this electric vehicle to be based on the Renault Fluence ZE. It will be produced at the Wuhan plant in 2017 and will be commercialized under a new sub-brand from Dongfeng which would not be available outside China.

This agreement is a part of the will of both the Renault Group and the Dongfeng Motor Corporation. It has been made to propose mobility solutions for sustainable development. DRAC CEO Jacques Daniel had confirmed- “This EV agreement illustrates Renault’s engagement as a partner of COP 21”. Nothing much has been revealed regarding the specifications, but the Fluence ZE sported a 22kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor that developed a maximum power of 95 PS along with a peak torque of 226 Nm.

Read also: Revealed: Renault Clio GT Line comes to Malaysia, Expected Price – RM 118k

The launch of this new electric vehicle is considered to be a part of DRAC's long term plan to introduce a five-car lineup which aims to grow the appetite for home-grown cars. This range includes two SUVs, two saloons and one electric vehicle. For its Wuhan-based plant, DRAC aims to have an initial output of around 150,000 cars annually, which is expected to rise to 600,000 vehicles per year by the end of the year 2020. Earlier this year at the Global Automotive Forum, the Chinese officials said that their official target was to reach one million electric vehicles by 2025 which currently stands at just 83,000.

Read also: Renault Megane RS – the Next-Gen Hot Hatch with five doors, Manual Gearbox in doubt!