Renault executive says UK electric car targets are hurting EV residual values
By Eve
Fabrice Cambolive, Chief Growth Officer of Renault Group, told GB News that the residual value of electric cars in the UK is being affected by government EV targets, as millions of drivers prepare to move away from petrol and diesel. He contrasted the UK with France, which he said had been "quite consistent" in its regulation of electric cars and the phase out of polluting vehicles. He also described hybrids as the "right solution" for some motorists.
Why it matters
Weak EV residual values can push up leasing and fleet financing costs, which in turn shapes driver demand for public charging. CPOs and procurement teams should weigh how policy uncertainty affects utilisation forecasts at new sites.
Source
- Original title
- “Renault boss says Labour's electric car targets are 'destroying' residual values of EVs”
- Published
- 30 October 2026
- Updated
- 2 November 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Policy & Market
- Place
- United Kingdom
- Tag
- Renault
Related news
France's new car market grows 7.05% in October as electric cars reach 41.5% share and the new Renault Twingo leads EV registrations
French new private car registrations rose 7.05% in October to 149,345 vehicles, following an 11.6% rise in September. Battery-electric registrations jumped 81.7% in the month, while petrol registrations fell 44.2% and hybrid registrations also declined. Electric cars took a 41.5% share in October, broadly in line with September, and 32.5% year to date against 18.9% in 2025. The new Renault Twingo topped the EV ranking with 4,747 registrations, narrowly ahead of the Renault 5 on 4,666, while the Renault Scénic placed fourth with 3,037, up 82% year on year.
Why it matters
With electric cars now taking more than four in ten new registrations, charge point demand from fleets and private drivers is growing quickly, and the Renault models leading the ranking are the ones CPOs should prioritise when planning home, workplace and public charging provision.
Renault to move future cars towards more consistent, sober design after the R5, R4 and Twingo electric models
According to an Autocar interview with Renault group chief designer Laurens van den Acker, reported by a French outlet, Renault wants a better balance between originality and brand consistency. Future models will look more closely related, though not identical, while the electric R5, R4 and Twingo will stay distinct. The shift comes with François Provost as the group's new head and Alexandre Malval as Renault's design director, replacing the differentiation approach encouraged under Luca de Meo.
Why it matters
This is a design direction change with no figures or powertrain commitments attached, so it signals no change to Renault's electric volumes. CPOs and procurement teams should treat it as background to brand strategy rather than a driver of near term charging demand.
Renault Group reports 84.7% rise in third quarter electric vehicle sales
On 29 October, Renault Group published an 84.7% increase in electric sales for the third quarter. The figure is quarterly rather than year to date, and covers the group as a whole (Renault, Dacia and Alpine), so an electric Dacia counts alongside a Renault. The release's note limits the electric indicator to passenger cars, excluding light commercial vehicles, and does not specify a geographic scope, so it cannot be read as a France or worldwide result. The release also cites an internal share, with electric vehicles at 25.8% of sales, though the excerpt is cut off before the full detail.
Why it matters
Strong group-level electric growth points to more vehicles arriving on the road, but the scope limits (passenger cars only, group wide, unspecified geography) mean it should not be used as a proxy for one brand or one national market when sizing charging demand. Procurement and CPO teams should check the perimeter before drawing conclusions for site planning.