Europe does not intend to surrender without a fight to the Asian offensive. The French automobile pillar Renault categorically cut off the ambitions of Chinese manufacturers who are seeking shelter on the Old Continent. The group's CEO Francois Provost personally dispelled the rumors floating in space that the company could rent out free production facilities to rapidly developing brands from China. “Not in our factories“ -ndash; this is the clear message that Paris is sending to the competition in the East.
The strategy of the French, resoundingly called “Future Ready“, relies on complete autonomy on European soil. Provo is firmly convinced that the salvation of the local industry lies in its own engineering genius, and not in turning iconic factories into assembly workshops for foreign brands. According to the top manager, the French concern has the necessary potential to dictate the rules of the game and develop successfully without becoming dependent on external platforms, software or technologies.
Interestingly, this proud isolation is fully valid only within Europe. On the global chessboard, Renault plays in a completely different way. Outside its home continent, the company skillfully maneuvers in partnership with established players. In India, the French draw on the experience of their long-time ally Nissan, while in the markets of South Korea and Brazil they cooperate extremely actively with the Chinese colossus Geely. The spotlight is also falling on a joint project with Ford, in which the American character and authentic design remain intact.
In addition to raising a wall against the Chinese invasion, Provo also issued a direct, rather sharp criticism of the officials in Brussels. He called on European regulators to finally put a stop to the continuous tightening of environmental and safety standards, at least when it comes to the compact city car segment. According to him, the current rules should be “frozen” for the next decade. Otherwise, endless bureaucratic requirements will simply increase the cost of affordable cars beyond recognition, which will practically clip the wings of the European automotive industry in its most important sector.