Renault’s Ampere secures LFP batteries to lower EV prices

Ampere, Renault Group’s electric vehicle department, has secured the supply of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries from LG Energy Solution and CATL. These cheaper batteries will be used from 2026 in a cell-to-pack configuration to lower the purchase price of the group’s electric models and sell sub-€20,000 EVs.

Until now, Renault has only used nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries in its electric vehicles, but the French manufacturer is looking to differentiate to lower prices. The South Korean and Chinese specialists LG Energy Solution and CATL, with battery plants in Poland and Hungary, respectively, will supply LFP batteries for Renault and Alpine electric models from 2026 to at least 2030.

20% battery cost reduction

This cheaper battery chemistry, which has a lower energy density but higher reliability and uses fewer rare minerals, will allow for a lower battery cost of around 20%. Together with cell-to-pack technology, this will improve energy density and lower weight.

Renault doesn’t yet say which models will use this type of battery but mentions that LFP batteries are “perfect for certain applications, mainly for small to mid-size cars.” We know the French group is looking to build a sub-€20,000 EV in the shape of the new Twingo Electric sometime in the second half of this decade.

However, the recently launched Renault 5 E-Tech (and its brother, the Alpine A290) and the upcoming Renault 4 E-Tech will probably also use these batteries to keep the price low.

“The work we’ve done with LG Energy Solution has enabled us to localize the entire value chain around LFP technology in Europe and significantly increase its competitiveness, including Cell-to-Pack,” says Philippe Brunet, Senior Vice President of Powertrain and EV Engineering at Ampere.

The battery packs will be assembled at Ampere ElectriCity (France), in the Assembly Battery Shop of Douai Manufacture.