Renault Group inaugurates a new production line for electric motors at the Cléon plant 05.07.2022: ...and further accelerates its electric transformation Following the creation of the ElectriCity cluster, this is a further illustration of the Renault Group's determination to make France a global centre of excellence in electric vehicles

...and further accelerates its electric transformation



    Following the creation of the ElectriCity cluster, this is a further illustration of the Renault Group's determination to make France a global centre of excellence in electric vehicles


    With an investment of €620 million since 2018, Cléon has consolidated its position as the largest electric motor production centre in France, with the inauguration of the new "ePT-160kW" electric motor production line


    Production capacity of over one million electrified engines by 2024


    A new-generation engine, developed within the framework of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, at the cutting edge of innovation to equip Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric


    With the implementation of the "E-Mobility Academy", a unique training system for the plant's 3,228 employees, this new line is a concrete example of the group's commitment to support its employees in the new electric professions





Today, the Renault plant in Cléon took a new step in its transformation towards electric power with the inauguration of the new "ePT-160kW" electric motor production line in the presence of Jose Vicente de los Mozos, Industrial Director of the Renault Group.



Renault Group has invested €620 million since 2018 at the Cléon site to industrialise the group's 100% electric and hybrid motors. A centre of expertise in the manufacture of very high performance electrical and mechanical components, the plant will have a production capacity of more than 1 million electrified motors per year from 2024, including 500,000 electric motors and 510,000 hybrid motors.



This transformation to electric vehicles, which was initiated in 2012, supports the group's strategy of embeding its electric value chain activities in France on a long-term basis and the Renault brand's ambition to be 100% electric for passenger vehicles in Europe by 2030.





Jose Vicente de los Mozos, Renault Group's Industrial Director, said:


"An emblematic site at the heart of the Renault Group's industrial ecosystem, the Cléon plant is the largest production centre for electric motors in France. Today, it is a new stage in its conversion to electric power and a great source of pride for the plant's 3,228 employees to produce this new electric motor for the Renault Mégane E-Tech.


Cléon is the perfect example of the group's industrial transformation towards the electric vehicle and its entire value chain, involving our employees, our social partners and our local stakeholders. Another future electric motor, developed jointly with Valéo, will also be assembled here and will reinforces the Renault Group's commitment to the Cléon plant and its desire to base its activities in France.”




A new engine at the cutting edge of innovation



A new electric motor developed within the framework of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, with a power of 160 kW, it will equip the 100% electric models of Renault, including the Megane E-Tech Electric, manufactured by the Douai plant within the ElectriCity cluster.



This new generation motor, at the cutting edge of innovation, is a synchronous motor with a wound rotor, a technology that Renault Group has been using for ten years and which offers better efficiency than the permanent magnet motor.



In addition, the absence of rare earths secures the supply while limiting its environmental impact and production costs. More compact and lighter than the Zoe's engine, it has more power (96 and 160 kW) and better torque (300 Nm). It offers all the pleasure of electric driving, including instant acceleration that is both dynamic and linear.





A factory geared towards electricity



To accelerate this transition and to support the rapidly growing electric market, this new assembly line for the "ePT-160 kW" motor has been set up after the renovation of approximately 8,000 m2. The production workshop includes 4 assembly lines and 2 winding lines with a production capacity of 120,000 motors per year, and thanks to its flexible design, could produce 240,000 motors per year.



Since 2015, the Cléon plant has been producing the electric powertrain for Renault Zoé, Twingo ZE, Kangoo ZE and Master ZE. Today, it is expanding its range with the industrialisation of the ePT-160 kW, which will also equip the future Renault C-segment model. From 2024, production will be expanded with the ePT-100 kW engine for the future Renault 5 electric car and from 2027, with the new generation 200 kW electric motor, designed without rare earths and developed in partnership with Valeo and Valeo Siemens eAutomotive.



To support this large-scale transformation, Renault Group is taking the lead and supporting its employees to train them in the new electrical professions. In Cléon, a unique training facility has been set up: the E-Mobility Academy. Developed with the help of partners*, this in situ campus, equipped with line-schools, aims to train the employees of the plant. This academic scheme is also accompanied by the announcement on 23 June 2022 of the recruitment of 100 new employees to support the site's electrical transformation, as part of the Renouveau France 2025 plan.




*Nextmove, Renault Trucks, Ingénieurs 2000, CNAM, within the framework of a Programme d'Investissement d'Avenir - Attractivité Compétences et Emplois, supported by the Plateforme de l'Automobile (PFA)



The Cléon site in key figures:


    98 million engines and gearboxes produced since the plant started in 1958

    €620 million invested since 2018 to industrialise electric motors and hybrid components

    In 2021, the site produced 934,459 mechanical components, 34% of which will be electric

    3,228 employees, 14% of whom are women for operators and technicians and 7% for managers




Astrid De Latude- photos Renault