Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Renault sets electric-hybrid timeline

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PARIS — French carmaker Renault said Friday that half of its models will be electric or hybrid by 2022, and it’s investing heavily in “robo-vehicles” with increasing degrees of autonomy.

A strategic plan released Friday aims to increase Renault’s annual revenue to $82.2 billion by 2022 from about $60 billion last year, in part through an effort to double sales outside its traditiona­l markets in Europe — especially Russia and China.

The plans reflect the vision laid out last month by the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi alliance, the world’s No. 1 carmaker by sales. Many of Renault’s new aims depend on saving money through sharing platforms and developmen­t with Nissan and Mitsubishi.

Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said Renault is aiming to sell more than 5 million vehicles annually by 2022 from 3.2 million last year. The plan relies in part on increasing low-cost car production in emerging markets, notably with the Dacia Logan and Kwid mini-SUV.

As regulators crack down on emissions from combustion engines and as drivers seek cars that can do more by themselves, Ghosn wants to position Renault as a major player in mass-market electric and driverless cars.

“We are confident we can turn upcoming … challenges into significan­t business opportunit­ies for Renault,” he said.

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