Renault will invest $300 million and hire 550 workers to make electric vans in Northern France.
Takeaway points
- Renault announced on Friday that the new site in Sandouville, which is in northern France, is going to build a revolutionary generation of electric LCVs for Flexis SAS.
- A total investment of €300 million is planned between now and 2026 to build this new generation of vehicles.
- The company is set to hire 550 new permanent and fixed-term employees over the next four years.
Electric LCVs Announcement
The Automobile manufacturer Renault announced on Friday that the new site in Sandouville, which is in northern France, is going to build a revolutionary generation of electric LCVs for Flexis SAS. They said A total investment of €300 million is planned between now and 2026 to build this new generation of vehicles.
Bruno Le Maire, Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and Édouard Philippe, Mayor of Le Havre and Chair of the Le Havre Seine Métropole urban community, to the Normandy site were welcomed by Luca de Meo, CEO Renault Group, and Thierry Charvet, Chief Industry & Quality Officer, Renault Group to the new site. The visitors commended the ideas of bringing the industrial project to France and recruiting 550 people in the next four years.
Thierry Charvet, Chief Industry & Quality Officer of Renault Group, said that with the production of a new generation of electric LCVs, a new era is beginning at Sandouville.
“The assignment of this new project recognizes the expertise and commitment of women and men at the plant. A new era is beginning at Sandouville, with the production of a new generation of electric LCVs that will transform the logistics of the future with their revolutionary design. This is a source of pride for us, and it is also a challenge that we are taking up at this historic site, where the objective is to remain an industry benchmark. With this decision, Renault Group is strengthening its industrial footprint in France,” Charvet said.
550 New Recruitment
Flexis SAS is the new joint venture set up by Renault Group, Volvo Group, and CMA CGM.
According to the report, the company has already hired 1,000 employees between 2014 and 2023, and it is set to hire 550 new permanent and fixed-term employees over the next four years as a way to support the new activity. The plant presently has a headcount of around 1,850, and in 2023, it had a training for the workers at almost 21,400 hours of training, which is almost 18 hours per person.
Based on the report, the company wants to meet the 2030 target of decarbonization, so their initiatives include a new modernised painting process that will cut the use of resources and energy by 30%. The plant is also equipped with 40 hectares of photovoltaic panels.
The Sandouville plant, three years ago introduced a policy of diversity and inclusion to help refugees find long-term employment in France through the HOPE programme (Hébergement, Orientation, et Parcours pour l’Emploi – accommodation, guidance and paths to employment).
Renault is an Automobile Manufacturing Company established in 1898 by brothers Louis, Marcel, and Fernand Renault. The company saw great success with its “voiturette,” receiving twelve orders for it that same year.
