12:17 07-07-2026
Renault draws the line: no Chinese cars at its European factories, says CEO Provost
CEO François Provost says Renault will stay independent under its Future Ready plan and won't turn its European sites into assembly shops for Chinese brands — while urging Brussels to freeze city-car rules for a decade.
Renault has drawn a clear line between partnership and dependence. Group CEO François Provost said the company will not build Chinese-brand cars at its European factories — even as rivals already head down that road.
According to Milano Finanza, Provost stressed that Renault remains an independent company and that its Future Ready plan depends on no one. He is planning no new manufacturing alliances with Chinese brands in Europe. The message sounds almost demonstrative: Renault wants to prove it can compete on its own, without turning its sites into assembly shops for cars from China.
That said, this is not a full break with the Chinese auto industry. Outside Europe the cooperation continues: Renault's joint projects with Nissan and Geely are developing in India, South Korea and Brazil. The French stance is rather regional — in Europe the brand defends its industrial and market independence, while on other markets it is happy to use partnerships wherever they pay off.
The approach neatly illustrates the tension inside the European auto industry. Chinese brands are pressing on price, development speed and electric technology, while European makers are trying not to lose control of their own factories and badges. For Renault the question is especially sensitive: in Europe it has to fight at once for affordable models, electrification and healthy margins.
Provost also renewed his appeal to European authorities for a ten-year moratorium on rule changes for compact city cars. In his view, the constant tightening of requirements makes cars too expensive for ordinary buyers and complicates life for the industry. Renault is promoting the M1E category for small electric models — essentially an attempt to bring back an affordable city car that will not drown in price under the new rules.
Separately, the Renault chief explained his interest in the defense sector. It is not about idle plants, he said — the company has no shortage of orders. This is a distinct avenue: after its drone projects and its partnership with Thales, Renault will keep exploring industrial opportunities in defense, supporting European industry in an unstable geopolitical climate.
The story shows that cooperation with the Chinese auto industry has stopped being a simple way to fill out a lineup. Now it is a question of control: who owns the plant, who defines the product, who wins the customer and whose badge stays in the buyer's memory. In Europe, Renault is choosing independence for now — though beyond the region it is ready for far more pragmatic alliances.