Renault has laid out a five-year strategy designed to boost its global footprint and sales volumes, with a clear emphasis on expanding outside Europe. The French automaker said it plans for half of its Renault-brand vehicle sales to occur overseas by 2030, up from 38% last year, and to lift annual volumes to more than 2 million units by 2030 - a 23% increase from the 1.63 million cars it expects to sell in 2025.
Under the plan, Renault will introduce 36 new models over the next five years, including 14 developed for markets outside Europe. That compares with just eight new models rolled out in the previous five-year period. The automaker said it intends to rely predominantly on in-house technology to produce competitive vehicles for its European markets, while turning to external partners to open and grow business in specific international regions.
One prominent partner named by Renault is China’s Geely. The company will use collaborations such as joint ventures to push sales notably in South America and South Korea. Renault also highlighted the Horse Powertrain joint venture with Geely, which will be tasked with developing a smaller internal combustion engine to underpin hybrid models.
The plan addresses product mix as well as production. Renault confirmed it will pursue electric vehicle development and intends to field 16 pure electric models by 2030, representing 44% of its planned model range. The automaker has relied on hybrid powertrains to cope with softer-than-expected electric vehicle demand in Europe.
Renault is also developing a new electric vehicle platform due in 2028 that will offer a range-extender variant. That version will include a backup gasoline engine intended to extend driving range to up to 1,400 km (870 miles).
On product launches, Renault said it will present the Bridger, a small sport-utility vehicle intended for the Indian market, at its research-and-development centre outside Paris later on Tuesday. The Bridger will be shown alongside the Dacia Striker, a crossover estate positioned to compete with the Volkswagen Group’s Skoda Octavia.
Renault’s chief executive, Francois Provost, who has led the company since last year, framed the strategy as a signal of long-term commitment, stating the firm will “show that we are here for the long term and we will become the benchmark for the European automotive industry on the global stage.”
The company noted it is in a stronger position than it was five years ago, when substantial losses forced it to withdraw from several overseas markets and to cut thousands of jobs. However, Renault faces mounting competitive pressure from low-cost Chinese manufacturers, explicitly including BYD and Chery, as well as legacy rivals such as Stellantis in Europe. That competition has contributed to price pressure that has eroded profit margins.
The company also pointed to wider industry developments, saying a pullback in government support for electric vehicles in the United States under the Trump administration has led some rivals to record large writedowns and make abrupt strategic reversals. Renault, which does not have a presence in either the U.S. or China, said it will continue to develop both electric and hybrid products as part of its five-year plan.