Autosportfoto

The first series-produced Kangoo Z.E. at Maubeuge, in the presence of Mr. Ghosn and Mr. Besson

Forty-seven days before Kangoo Z.E. reaches the showrooms, Éric Besson, French Minister for Industry, Energy and the Digital Economy, and Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Renault Group, are touring the Maubeuge production facility.

- MCA (Maubeuge Carrosserie Automobile), a wholly owned Renault subsidiary, is the sole production site for the Kangoo Z.E. range, comprising Kangoo Z.E. and Kangoo Maxi Z.E. (2- and 5-seater).

- On sale from October 2011 with a sticker price starting at 15,000 euros (ex VAT and including 5,000 euros of tax incentives, notably in France), Kangoo Z.E. is the first affordable all-electric van, designed and manufactured in France.

- To keep pace with the production ramp-up, Carlos Ghosn confirms that nearly 100 people will be hired at Maubeuge in 2011.

The very first Kangoo Z.E. came off the production line on September 22, 2010. Since then, 68 vehicles were produced in 2010, and 281 in 2011 (to end July). These pre-production models intend for pilot operations involving the roll-out of electric vehicles both in France, such as the SAVE project (Seine Aval Vehicle Électrique), and abroad.

As a French company with an international outlook and a strong attachment to its industrial presence and employment in its home country, Renault is heavily involved in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, where it has four manufacturing facilities. As the production ramps up at Maubeuge, a total of nearly 100 people are hired at MCA in 2011.

Renault has signed the "Charter for the industrial production of electric vehicles", adopted on September 6 by France's ministry of industry.


Renault Kangoo Z.E., the first affordable all-electric van, designed and manufactured in France, is part of Renault's zero-emission* strategy.

With Kangoo Z.E., Renault is offering a vehicle that is accessible to everyone, thanks to:

• its sticker price, comparable to that of an internal combustion Kangoo (minus government subsidies),
• the electric vehicle's maintenance cost, around 20% lower in France.

Renault has been Europe's leading producer of light commercial vehicles since 1998, with market share of 15.9% in Europe and 32.5% in France in 2010. It now aims to set the standard for electric vans. By adding electric models to its commercial vehicle range, Renault has what it takes to consolidate its position in Europe's LCV market.


* zero-emission in use.

About Renault

Present on all continents with over 30 production sites and 18,000 business sites in 118 countries, Renault designs, produces and sells a broad range of innovative vehicles that with each new generation are increasingly safe and more respectful of the environment. The company is pursuing its strategy of profitable growth with associate brands Dacia and Renault Samsung Motors and strategic partner AvtoVAZ. Renault has a workforce of 121,000 worldwide. In 2010 it reported revenues of €38,971 million and sold over 2.6 million vehicles.

APPENDIX

About the MCA plant

Milestones

- 1969: land purchased by Chausson
- September 23, 1971: site inaugurated. The first vehicle off the production lines is a Renault 15.
- 1978: MCA (Maubeuge Construction Automobile), a Renault subsidiary, formed via the purchase of Chausson
- 1993: Renault chooses MCA as the sole production plant for Kangoo
- 1997-2007: Kangoo 1 produced (2.2 million vehicles)
- Since 2007: Kangoo 2 produced (all PC versions, LCVs, Maxi, Compact, and now Z.E.)
- In all, 4.7 million cars were manufactured in 40 years.

MCA today

- 139,259 vehicles produced in 2010, including Kangoo LCV: 54%, Kangoo PC: 46%
- 35,923 Kangoo PCs and 43,291 Kangoo LCVs produced in first-half 2011
- Exports in 2010: Kangoo: 84,948 vehicles (61% of total)
- Employees: around 2,100 (2011)

Kangoo Z.E.: price in euros (with / without incentives + battery rental)