Renault could bring back petrol-powered versions of the Megane and Scenic after bosses confirmed it is readying a new multi-fuel platform that will underpin the next generation of its C-segment cars.
While it has been created predominantly as an electric architecture, Renault boss Fabrice Cambolive said it has also been designed to accommodate plug-in hybrid and range-extender powertrains.
Cambolive said it will be “a dedicated EV platform” but “if [sales of EVs] are not so rapid as expected, perhaps you can complete this EV pace with some extensions like a range-extender or plug-in hybrid, and that's what we are working on”.
A launch date for the new platform is likely to be around 2030, said Cambolive. When it arrives, it will be joined by four new models, although not all are expected to sit on the new platform. He said: “Out of the eight [cars promised in our ‘Renaulution’ plan], four are already launched and we want to launch four more.”
Cambolive added that "the next challenge, after launching the first line-up of the C-… B- and A-segments, will be how to renew our C-and D-segments", and although “a dedicated EV platform works very well on the B-segment”, a multi-energy plan is best for larger models.
Renault Group CEO François Provost said this new platform and next wave of cars are important for the brand “to continue our mission to rule the C-segment, and especially to grow in northern Europe”.
While Provost and Cambolive were coy about the details of which cars the platform will underpin, the timing opens the door for it to be used for a new generation of the CMF-EV-based Megane (which was launched in 2022) and the Scenic (which appeared in 2024). This would allow Renault to bring back combustion power to the nameplates, which are currently sold exclusively as EVs.
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This is unfortunately a backwards step if correct but you see a lot of the manufacturers doing this to hedge their bets, it also means combi platforms that aren't particularly focused on either disopline which isn't so great for the final product or consumer experience.
This is a transition period so it is in a lot of ways to be expected.
whatever the eventual timeline, the vast majority of new car sales will be electric in the not too distant future.
Move forwards not backwards. Make them hydrogen powered if you most have another fuel source at least it is forward thinking.
Why our stupid government brought it forward from 2035 in the first place is beyond comprehension. It shows their naivety. Their incompetence. Their delusion.
A 'carbon-free grid' by 2030 isn't going to happen either.