17:30 15-06-2026
Renault Strikes Gold: EV Orders Jump 50% Amid Iran War, Suppliers Can't Cope
Renault EV orders surge 50% in France and Germany. CEO Francois Provost says suppliers can't keep up. The bet now is on cheaper LFP batteries and the new Twingo from €12,970.
Renault has run into the kind of problem most carmakers are only dreaming about: demand for its electric cars is outrunning the capacity of its suppliers. Renault Group CEO Francois Provost said that since the war in Iran began, orders for electric models in France and Germany have climbed by roughly 50%.
“We’re currently exceeding the capacity of our suppliers because of the war in Iran,” Provost said.
Renault stocked up on batteries in advance, but the rest of the supply chain isn’t keeping pace with the sudden spike. The company has already set up a dedicated task force and is weighing extra production shifts at its Douai and Maubeuge plants in France, as well as Novo Mesto in Slovenia, in the second half of the year.
From January through April, EV sales in Europe rose 29%, but the past few weeks have accelerated the market thanks to expensive fuel. Provost admits that interest may cool once the conflict ends, but Renault no longer expects a rollback to the previous trajectory: “We have already revised our assumptions.”
The main bet is on making batteries cheaper. Renault wants the Envision AESC gigafactory in Douai to start producing LFP cells: they are less expensive than NCM batteries (built on nickel, cobalt and manganese). The company currently has two LFP suppliers — CATL for the Twingo and LG Energy Solution. The new electric Twingo has already launched in Spain at €12,970 after subsidies (around $15,200).
LFP cells will then move into the base versions of the R5, R4, Megane and Scenic. Renault is also promising faster charging — a weak point of the previous generation. The Megane is due for a facelift soon, the Scénic will follow, and the R5 and R4 will likely wait until 2027. Higher trims will get larger NCM packs with up to 500 km of WLTP range.
For 2028, Renault has the RGEV Medium 2.0 platform planned for the new electric Scenic/Austral and the Spanish-built Rafale. The pitch: up to 750 km WLTP, 800-volt architecture and 10–80% charging in 15 minutes.
Right now Renault is selling not just an electric car but insurance against fuel-price shocks. The trouble is, that kind of insurance only pays off when the factories can keep up with buyers’ anxiety.