Renault, Google Expand Partnership in Software Services for Future Vehicles

Renault and Google said on Tuesday that they are expanding their partnership in software services for future Renault vehicles, adding that Google will become the preferred cloud supplier to the French automaker. The partnership with Google will also help Renault accelerate its "end-to-end digital transformation, from the design of the car to its market launch through its production," Renault Chief Executive Luca de Meo said in a statement.

Automakers and technology companies including Sony, Apple and Google, have been working to develop ways to build future cars into platforms more like smartphones, with billable services where key updates are wireless.

On Tuesday, AFP reported that the automaker will pitch investors on its planned green revamp, with two spin-offs. Renault will announce a new EV unit and a subsidiary for thermal and hybrid assets. The EV market is expected to grow rapidly in response to consumers' worries about climate change, putting pressure on manufacturers to develop fewer polluting products.

The European Union last month agreed to phase out new CO2-emitting vehicles by 2035, a move set to turbo-charge the production of electric prototypes on the continent, according to the report. The flagship division of the carmaker's reorganisation is Ampere, a split-off expected to employ around 10,000 staff in France and produce electric vehicles in the north. It plans to invite investment in Ampere but would remain the majority shareholder.

Renault also intends to combine its technological, manufacturing, and research and development activities for its hybrid and internal-combustion vehicles in a subsidiary called "Horse". The subsidiary is expected to employ an estimated 19,000 people across Europe, China and South America, according to the report.

© Thomson Reuters 2022