Arnaud Montebourg, Minister of Industrial Renewal, visits the Maubeuge plant

Carlos Tavares discussed the Renault group’s strategy in the field of sustainable mobility, particularly as regards Kangoo Z.E.
The minister discovered the Mercedes Citan, manufactured on the same production line as the Kangoo ICE and electric models. Carlos Tavares pointed out that the industrial expertise of Renault group plants, particularly Maubeuge, is recognized in other countries. In 2011, MCA exported 62 percent of its output

The minister congratulated Renault for its “commitment to the Nord Pas de Calais region and also to the electric vehicle, which reflects a social change that will allow people to rediscover the automobile as a source of freedom. Mr. Montebourg also hailed “the industrial expertise of this plant, which epitomizes French performance and competitiveness”.

For Carlos Tavares, “this visit is an opportunity to applaud the commitment and expertise of the employees who are making MCA a key player in our electric strategy and a benchmark plant for production quality. It illustrates Renault’s determination to support the development of an EV electrics industry in France”. Mr. Tavarez thanked the minister for visiting MCA and for the government’s commitment to the electric vehicle. He also expressed his pride in the fact that Renault has led the global EV market since July.

Maubeuge, a plant committed to sustainable mobility with Kangoo Z.E.

MCA is one of two Renault group sites in France (alongside Flins) to build electric vehicles. More than 5,000 Kangoo Z.E. have been manufactured there. Named International Van of the Year 2012, Kangoo Z.E. reaps the benefits of the know-how and experience acquired on Kangoo ICE, with a recognized level of quality. Many companies and municipalities in France and abroad have already opted for Kangoo Z.E.

MCA is a production site that manages a wide range of vehicles for Renault, with a broad product family ranging from small LCVs to passenger cars, and from ICE to electric vehicles, a total of seven models in all (Kangoo Generation 2011, Grand Kangoo, Kangoo Express Compact, Kangoo Express, Kangoo Maxi, Kangoo Z.E. and Kangoo Maxi Z.E), with up to twelve engines. The Maubeuge site and, more generally, all Renault sites have acknowledged expertise in managing diversity. That diversity has increased still further with the arrival of the different versions of Citan

MCA, recognized expertise in quality

MCA is committed to managing total quality, applying demanding standards that are widely recognized on all the models it produces, including those relating to the partnership signed in 2010 with Daimler for Citan. Based on the Kangoo platform, Citan is built on the same line as all the versions of Kangoo. Before allocating the vehicle to the Maubeuge plant, Mercedes subjected Kangoo to a wide range of tests, including part-by-part dismantling, salt spray tests and physical tests on hinges – all of which it passed with flying colors.
The partnership gave MCA an opportunity to go even further in terms of finish quality, and to dialogue with its partner, Daimler, on production best practices.
Kangoo led the LCV segment in Europe in 2011, with 16.2% of the market.