Introducing Flexis: the new Renault-Volvo joint venture

Il Volvo Group, Renault and CMA CGM have united in an ambitious project that aims to revolutionize the service delivery sector the introduction of fully electric commercial vehicles.

From the beginning, officially launched on 22 March, saw the entry of CMA CGM as a minority shareholder with a 10% stake.. This investment, was passed through pulse energy specialist fundvolume up to 120 million euros will be provided by 2026. Renault and Volvo, for their part, confirm their commitment with one a participation of 45% each and predict an investment of 300 million euros in the next three years..

The goal of this program is the development of a platform skateboard specially for light commercial vehicleswhich promises to change the industry thanks to it modularity and competitive cost. In addition to enabling adaptation to different body configurations, this platform aims to improve safety standards and make vehicles more accessible in economic terms. Following the hope of CEO of Renault, Luca De Meopush for cooperation at the European level to reduce the costs of electric mobility Made in Europe.

Read Also: De Meo, “imitating the success of Airbus also for electric cars”

Flexis: responding to market needs

Flexis SAS aims to respond to the growing demand for electric vehicles in Europe, a growing market expected to grow by 40% annually until 2030..

The goal is to make transport and equipment environmentally friendlyaccording to the requirements imposed by climate change, regulations on environmental pollution such as CO2, and the increase in equipment associated with e-commerce.

The urgency of the shift towards more sustainable commercial vehicles is underlined by a report from World Economic Forum del 2020which produces a 36% increase in the number of delivery vehicles in the world’s 100 largest cities within this decade. This increase will cause 32% growth in CO2 emissions and 21% increase in traffic, with a negative impact on air quality and urban life. There transition to ship electrificationcome on quella proposal from Renault and Volvotherefore it emerges as san important solution to deal with these worrying trends.

This development comes at a time when market fairs special trends of expansion and growing interest:

“We are facing new standards and expectations for electric vehicles. The tendency towards sustainability, driven by climate change and strict regulations on CO2 emissions, as well as the expansion of demand for e-commerce and logistics, is creating demand for professional customers”he demands Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault.

More than that De Meo emphasizes how efficiency in the light commercial vehicle sector is of fundamental importanceemphasizing that “every 30 seconds saved by a logistics company during delivery can improve profits by 1%. This highlights the importance of making vans that are not only electric but also optimized to improve the efficiency of delivery companies”.

Read Also: Renault and Volvo together for e-LCVs, Flexis is born

Innovation, sustainability and TCO reduction

The collaboration at the heart of this project aims to combine the distinctive skills of each company involved, to push accelerating the development of a new generation of electric light commercial vehicles. The latter are known for adoption of the modern skateboard platformwhich not only ensures a greater compatibility and reduced costs, but also represents important innovations in the field of security and advanced features, specifically designed to improve equipment and performance monitoring..

In addition to these creative elements, the goal of the project is reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for equipment operatorsrecommend a reduce up to 30%. This goal will also be implemented the production of new cars at the Renault factory in Sandouvillethe plant that emerges for it at the forefront of light commercial vehicle manufacturing and plans to expand its team with 550 new hires over the next few years.strengthening its role as a hub for the production of these vehicles.

The the leadership of Flexis SAS will be handed over to Philippe Divry, in the role of CEO, and Krishnan Sundararajan, as COO.. This program represents a significant step towards innovation in the light commercial vehicle sector, aiming to provide efficient and sustainable solutions to address emerging market challenges.

Raffaele Fusilli, CEO of Renault Italia, emphasized the importance of efficient electric vehicles, especially for last-mile transport in contributing to a better quality of life in large cities:

“The agreement with Volvo goes exactly in this direction, in full harmony with our core human philosophy: improving people’s quality of life is in our DNA..

Read Also: New LCVs (increasingly “green”) for zero emissions at home

Chinese competition

Martin Lundstedt, as President and CEO of Volvo, highlights two key issues for the automotive and commercial industries. First, like his colleagues, he realizes the critical importance of the transition towards sustainable energy systems. This urgency is even more important in light of the 2040 sustainability goals, which require a major shift away from the current dependence on fossil fuels towards more sustainable alternatives. Adding that commitment to sustainability “it is not only a matter of environmental responsibility, but it also becomes a strategic requirement to remain competitive and relevant in the future market..

Second, Lundstedt addresses the competitive challenge represented by the entry of Asian producers, especially Chinese, into the European market. Volvo’s response to this challenge is not to seek refuge in defensive measures, but instead embrace innovation and the development of effective proposals.

“To compete effectively in the long term, we, as European manufacturers, must focus on innovative ideas and effective proposals instead of seeking market protection. We are confident in the quality and value of what we develop”says Lundstedt, highlighting a proactive approach to global competition.

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