The French manufacturer, which warned last week of weaker than expected June sales volumes, said its second-quarter volumes were down 0.1 per cent, despite a raft of new vehicle launches.
‘Throughout the first half of the year, we have seen increasingly fierce competition between players in the European commercial vehicle market,’ said Ivan Segal, global sales and operations director.
‘Demand is difficult, we sense an economic context full of uncertainty, certainly leading companies to postpone a certain number of purchases,’ he told reporters on a group call.
While Renault brand car sales increased by 8.4% in the first half, thanks in particular to the Clio, with 130,500 sold, sales of profitable vans and light commercial vehicles fell by 29 per cent overall. Such vehicles make up 20 per cent of Renault’s volume.
Renault’s total sales included 63,800 EVs – around 16 per cent of its total and a 57 per cent increase on the same period in 2024. The Renault 5 accounted for the bulk of those sales, which are expected to grow further as the R4 and imminent new Twingo come on stream.
Segal added: ‘There is an opportunity there in terms of demand for the BEV segment. People want those kind of cars, and they go for an R5 whatever kind of energy it uses, because the car is very desirable.’
But Segal acknowledged that the growth of the European EV market was ‘not at the speed expected’ to ensure car firms could hit emissions targets set by the European Union.
He added that he expects the company to regain market share in commercial vehicles in the second half, as the new Master range expands and new models are introduced.
