Renault and Dongfeng have announced plans to build and sell EVs in China.
As part of the joint venture between the two firms, the Dongfeng Renault Automotive Company (DRAC) will produce its first electric car in 2017 at the company’s Wuhan plant (below).
Based on the Renault Fluence, the car will be sold under the badge of a local Dongfeng brand solely for the Chinese market. DRAC CEO Jacques Daniel has cited the project as a sign of Renault’s commitment to worldwide sustainability.
DRAC was formed in 2013 out of the Renault Beijing Automotive Company, which was responsible for selling and marketing imported Renaults in China. Following the original announcement of the Renault/Dongfeng alliance, the group said that they aimed to build their first Chinese-developed car, a C-segment crossover, at their new Wuhan factory in 2016.
Other planned vehicles include another SUV and two saloons, developed exclusively for the Chinese market.
Renault sold its Fluence EV around the world, before poor sales and the bankruptcy of its battery supplier cut production short in 2014.
October 7, 2015
