Renault sold a little more cars than the previous year, notably through its hybrid range. According to the group, the Dacia Sandero remains the car best sold to individuals in Europe.
In a market in full revolution, a certain stability. The Renault group published this Thursday the results of its sales for the year 2024, a slight increase of 1.3% worldwide compared to 2023. Which represents 2.264 million vehicles sold, despite a slowing European market, announced the French manufacturer in a press release.
If this year 2024 was marked by the launch of the R5, it was the hybrid models which consolidated the results. They now represent a quarter of the group’s sales, with an increase of 45% last year.
Second on hybrid in Europe
With a small engine and an electric battery that does not need to be plugged in, and which allows you to drive a few kilometers without burning gasoline, “it is the best compromise” for customers who “want a sustainable solution”, underlined Renault brand director Fabrice Cambolive during a press conference.
The Renault brand ranks second in hybrid sales in Europe behind Toyota, a pioneer of this technology which replaces non-hybridized gasoline and diesel engines. But the No. 1 and No. 2 in the European market, the Volkswagen and Stellantis groups, intend to strengthen their offering of hybrid models in the coming months.
After having conquered large SUVs, the hybrid is gaining market share on smaller models such as the Captur SUV or the compact Clio, and could further progress in countries which are still hesitant about electric vehicles such as Italy or the ‘Spain, underlined the director of Renault.
“It’s the antechamber of the transition to electric,” summarizes Fabrice Cambolive.
Sales of zero-emission cars did not support Renault last year, since they only represented 9% of volumes. The diamond group was, however, a pioneer of this type of engine.
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Meet CO2 emissions targets
The group has every interest in this with the entry into force since January 1 of more severe European CO2 emissions standards (CAFE), which force it to sell more electric vehicles under penalty of heavy fines. While Stellantis has allied with Tesla and Mercedes with Volvo to compensate for possible overruns, Renault and Volkswagen have not yet announced an alliance.
“Renault has all the supply to achieve the CAFE objectives”, at 95 grams of CO2 on average per vehicle, underlined Fabrice Cambolive, “but we do not measure the level of demand, hence our requests vis-à-vis vis-à-vis the European Commission. The automotive lobby ACEA is currently negotiating a relaxation of these CO2 standards.
“Our strategy allows us to play on two legs and adapt to the dynamics that we see in each European country”, with very disparate paths towards the electric car, underlined Fabrice Cambolive. “It gives us an agility that allows us to look to the coming months with confidence.”
R5, new Duster… All these models launched in 2024 reinforce the success of the second phase of the “Renaulution”, the strategic plan launched by the boss of the Renault group Luca de Meo to relaunch it, according to Renault.
Two thirds of sales in Europe
In Europe, where the group generates more than two thirds of its sales, Renault is growing twice as fast (+3.5%) as the market, which remained sluggish in 2024. The economical Dacia Sandero remains the best-selling vehicle on the continent and Dacia (+2.7% in 2024) intends to accelerate further in 2025 with the arrival of the Bigster family model.
The group, however, is declining in markets outside Europe with “variations very linked to the product plans and geopolitical situations of each country”, explained Fabrice Cambolive, such as the devaluation of the Argentine peso or the arrival of very aggressive competitors in Mexico.
The arrival of new SUV models should boost sales in the first half of 2025, hopes a spokesperson for the brand.
