Cecilia Tudor (Renault South Eastern Europe): Renault brings modernity to the European automotive industry

Cecilia Tudor, Managing Director Renault South Eastern Europe tells Business Review about Renault’s engagement to become a Clean Energy Brand and how it moved into a new era on the automotive market.

By Anda Sebesi

What can you tell us about Renault’s engagement to become a Clean Energy Brand?

Renault brand moves into a new era and launches its own “Nouvelle Vague”, bringing modernity to the European automotive by turning into a Tech, Service and Clean Energy brand.

Read more about

BR Interview | Nicolae Bănică, CEO OSCAR Downstream: Romania is one of the few European countries that may achieve energy independence

read more

Innovation has been at the heart of the Renault brand for 120 years. Renault is leader in the European EV market and invented the E-TECH hybrid technology. Renault will evolve into a Tech, Service and Clean Energy brand:

• A Tech brand with an ecosystem called “Software République” that will allow Renault build European know-how and defend its sovereignty in key technologies.
• A service brand that offers the best connectivity and high-tech services embedded in our vehicles. Renault will be the first carmaker to bring Google services to mass-market cars.
• A Clean Energy brand becoming leader of the energy transition through its leadership in the electric market, market-ready end-to-end hydrogen solutions for LCV’s to reach the greenest mix in the European market

Renault will reconquer the C-segment and defend its B-segment leadership, with 14 models to be launched by 2025, 7 all-electric, 7 in the C/D segment.

What can you tell us about E-Tech technology and E-Tech hybrid line-up?

Groupe Renault is a pioneer and expert in electric mobility – the cornerstone of the Group’s current and future commitment to sustainable mobility for all. For more than 10 years, the Group has garnered expertise in electric vehicles that translates into more dynamic and efficient hybrid motors.

The powertrain used in all Renault hybrid motors is available in two variants: E-TECH Hybrid (full hybrid, also known as HEV or hybrid) and E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid (full plug-in hybrid, also known as PHEV or plug-in hybrid). Integrating the new technology into these models is easy, thanks both to the new CMF-B and CMF-C/D modular architectures that were designed from the outset to house electric capabilities and the fact that E-TECH systems are more compact than ever before and can be mounted in the engine compartment of a versatile city car, such as the Clio.

Renault engineers have devised a revolutionary solution for a hybrid range that is relevant, original, and exclusive – with more than 150 patents. It is based on a hybrid “series-parallel” architecture to ensure the widest range of combinations of engine operations and the best CO2 gains when on the road.

This hybrid technology also taps into the extensive knowledge base of the Renault DP World F1 Team. Production model hybrids share and benefit from technology originally developed for F1 racing. Thanks to work carried out on developing true multi-modal hybrid motors, as opposed to merely fitting out traditional combustion motors with electric capabilities, E-TECH vehicles guarantee:

• Electric-only starting every time.
• Driving pleasure in all circumstances thanks to an increased electric range and capabilities, even when accelerating.
• Excellent fuel efficiency thanks to its innovative multimodal gearbox, efficient regenerative braking and high capacity battery recharging; all thanks to the combined expertise acquired on Formula 1 and electric vehicles.

With these assets, the Clio E-TECH Hybrid can be driven for up to 80% of the time on city roads in all-electric mode, with a consumption saving of up to 40% compared with a petrol engine in the urban cycle. The New Captur E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid can run at 100% electric for 50 kilometres with a top speed of 135 kph in mixed use (WLTP) and 65 kilometres in urban use (WLTP City). The New Arkana, recently launched in Romania, came with a multi-hybrid range that is unique in its segment – the E-TECH Hybrid 140 hp engine and TCe 140 & TCe 160 engines with 12V micro-hybrid system.

Can you offer us more information about your services and aftersales offers from the perspective of a full electric experience?

Renault is the first manufacturer to provide the full Electric experience: E-Tech vehicle range, services and aftersales. In all the Renault Network across the country our clients can charge their E-Tech vehicles – full electric or hybrid ones. From client’s perspective, we can firmly say that the total cost of ownership will be lower than for an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle.

Do your EVs are available for car-sharing (like Uber)? What are the geographical areas where you are present with EVs in car-sharing system? Is it Romania on your map from this perspective?

The car-sharing market is growing rapidly, and operators are demanding an affordable electric city car. There are currently around 15,000 electric car-sharing cars on the road in Europe, (Projection of 150,000 cars in car-sharing by 2025, i.e. a market multiplied by 10 in 5 years.) Renault understands this well, as nearly 10,000 of the brand’s electric vehicles are available for carsharing every day in around twenty European cities. In Romania we already have EV fleets in Uber and Spark car-sharing platforms.