PARIS: Mercedes Benz Group (MBGn.DE), a longtime partner of Renault (RENA.PA) in vans, won’t be a part of the French company’s FlexEvan electric project and will focus instead on its own premium electric vehicle VAN.EA, two sources privy to the matter said.
FlexEvan, scheduled to launch in 2026, is being developed for the Nissan and Renault marques and sources say it could also be joined by Renault Trucks, a brand owned by Sweden’s Volvo (VOLVb.ST).
A spokeswoman of Mercedes confirmed that the group had no plan to launch a mid-sized van or a large one on a different platform than the electrical van. Renault declined to comment.
Following the collapse of demand for the diesel engines Renault had been selling to its German allies, and the end of a joint project on Twingo-Smart vehicles, Mercedes and Renault only have one joint project together – the small Citan van, whose first electric version is being launched.
Renault has long sought to expand its cooperation in vans with Mercedes, but in vain.
One of the sources said, “It is true that for light commercial cars, the bulk (of the cooperation with Mercedes) has been done.”
Under CEO Luca de Meo, Renault has been multiplying partnerships outside the scope of its historical alliances with Daimler and Nissan, both championed by his predecessor Carlos Ghosn.
No concrete project between Mercedes and Renault is actively being studied, a third source said, adding that new incentive programmes, such as the United States Inflation Reduction Act and similar European measures, could, however, lead to the two cooperating on the sharing of manufacturing facilities.
