Renault Group is launching a plan to transform its industrial base fundamentally. Between now and 2027, it is seeking to cut production costs per vehicle by 30% for internal combustion vehicles (ICE) and 50% for electric vehicles (BEV).

Renault Group’s Industrial Metaverse will play a vital role in the transformation, enabling the Group to accelerate its competitive advantage and reinvent vehicle production.

Renaulution: less costs, faster development

Renault Group has announced the launch of a plan for the in-depth transformation of its industrial base. This plan is part of the Revolution phase of Renaulution, the strategic plan to make Renault Group a next-generation automotive manufacturer.

The aim is to reduce production costs per vehicle by 30% for internal combustion vehicles and 50% for electric vehicles by 2027. The plan will also contribute to cutting vehicle development times from three to two years. In this way, the Group is moving into high gear and setting ambitious targets.

“Re-Industry is a 360° transformation plan. The aim is to build on our strengths and to gather speed in what we already do well, to reinvent our entire industrial base, and attain the highest standards in excellence,” says Thierry Charvet, Chief Industry & Quality Officer, Renault Group.

“This industrial transformation will make our base more agile, virtuous, and competitive while enabling us to respond more quickly to customer expectations,” he adds.

Industrial Metaverse

Renault Group was the first manufacturer to set up an Industrial Metaverse, the company claims, and it is determined to stay one step ahead by further accelerating its industrial base’s digitalization and building its workforce’s skills.

The Re-Industry plan aims to boost all the traditional areas of industrial performance while reinventing production by developing innovative processes. In this way, for example, the Group targets a nine-hour production time for the future electric Renault 5.

With 12 000 systems connected worldwide, two million data items uploaded every minute, and three billion per day, Renault Group’s Industrial Metaverse wants smarter, faster, and better production while reducing industrial processes’ costs and carbon footprint.

In 2023, Renault claims that the Metaverse has already generated savings of €270 million for the Group, primarily through deploying predictive maintenance on installations. By connecting the workstations and the entire ecosystem (transport, suppliers, etc.), Renault Group aims to cut vehicle delivery times by 60% and the carbon footprint of vehicle production by half.

Net Zero Carbon

Using the Ecogy portal, a connected solution developed in-house, it can continuously monitor consumption and respond immediately to any deviations. Renault Group aims to cut the energy consumption of its industrial sites by 40% by 2025 and has been halfway there since 2019.

Regarding emissions from its industrial sites, Renault Group has set a target of Net Zero Carbon by 2025 for the ElectriCity division and the Cléon site, by 2030 for sites in Europe, and by 2050 for all industrial sites worldwide.

Artificial Intelligence

Today, Renault Group uses over 300 operational applications of Artificial Intelligence based on analyzing images and sound for its industrial base. The aim is to implement 3 000 applications by 2025.

These projects will also support the industrial deployment of new technologies such as the Software-Defined Vehicle, power electronics, and the assembly of batteries and electric motors. They will also drive shorter vehicle production times through faster processing.

Flexible and agile

Another critical factor in the competitive edge of an industrial system is its agility and flexibility, says Renault. The Group has announced the production of eight new Renault vehicles in its plants outside Europe.

Boosted by optimizing its manufacturing capacities and implementing flexible lines, the Group has halved capital expenditure over the past four years. It will be able to launch twelve new models in 2024.

“The plan to transform Renault Group’s industrial base underlines the Group’s commitment to innovation and the mobility of the future while ensuring the sustainable operation of its industrial sites,” claims the press release.

“It marks a revolution in automotive production, making it faster, more competitive, more agile. By reinventing its approach to production, the Group is ready to meet market challenges while building vehicles that will shape the next era for the automotive industry,” the Group concludes.