Renault boss ‘not worried at all’ over EU’s relaxing of 2035 ICE ban

Renault is ‘not worried at all’ over the European Union’s decision to relax the 2035 ICE ban last month.

That’s according to the Renault Brand’s vice president, Bruno Vanel, who explained what the French firm has put in place for a clear and secure future for decarbonising its vehicle fleet.

Last month, the EU decided that it would scrap its plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, and introduced a new policy where car manufacturers would have to meet a 90 per cent tailpipe emission reduction target. The remaining 10 per cent can be vehicles that run on alternative fuels such as ‘e-fuels’ and ‘biofuels’.

Renault is tackling this change in policies with its ‘two-legged strategy’, offering multiple powertrain options with petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric models, to give consumers more choice. The approach also gives the brand more flexibility in adapting to the changes in emission regulations.

Speaking at the Brussels Motor Show, Vanel told the PA news agency: “We welcome the latest automotive package from the EU, which has brought clarification and a clear direction of future mobility.”

He added: “We are not worried at all. We are fully flexible and we will adapt to the legislation as we’ve got a full BEV line-up. The only thing we need is to get everything clarified. We’ve got all the dimensions covered in terms of what was presented by the EU, so we will adapt accordingly to make sure there aren’t any issues going forward.”

Renault will launch a new Twingo compact EV this year, which is anticipated to be one of the cheapest new electric cars on the market, with a predicted starting price of less than £20,000.