Renault group launches “Les voitures de future fonction”^[1] by caremakers, a solidarity initiative to help people return to work in mobility deserts

Boulogne-Billancourt, March 20, 2024

"Mobility plays an essential role in obtaining, keeping a job or getting trained. This is a source of inequality: more than half of job seekers in a situation of financial fragility have been forced to refuse a job due to a lack of transport solutions^[3]. This societal challenge encouraged Renault Group to launch CareMakers, an inclusive mobility program in 2012. Today, Renault Group is strengthening its commitments by offering people on a trial period the possibility of leasing a vehicle on a long-term basis or with an option to buy, and only starting to pay once the new job has been secured. A first in France," said Cléa Martinet, VP Sustainability at Renault Group

A NETWORK OF COMMITTED PARTNERS

Because mobility must be accessible to all, Renault Group offers various new or used vehicle leasing solutions for people who do not have a financing solution. These offers are made possible through its CareMakers inclusive mobility program and thanks to an ecosystem of committed partners: social prescribers (organizations in job seeking assistance, solidarity and social reintegration actors), financial institutions specializing in constrained budgets, and players in inclusive mobility.

To disseminate and publicize the offer, France Travail is one of the main partners of this program and has been mobilizing for the benefit of job seekers since the very beginning of the initiative.

To facilitate financing, Renault Group has set up partnerships with organisations specialising in microcredit for low-income people (Adie, Caisse d'Epargne, Parcours Confiance, Créasol).

Finally, to ensure that its offer is well coordinated with local areas and existing schemes, the Group has surrounded itself with players specialising in inclusive mobility (Roole, Le Club Mobilité).

The Group's dealer network is also a key player in this approach: today, there are nearly 50 garages throughout France offering vehicles and more than 300 garages offering maintenance and repairs at preferential rates via CareMakers, all volunteers to accompany and participate in this program. 

A PROGRAM INITIATED IN 2012 THAT HAS PROVED ITS WORTH

For more than 10 years, the CareMakers inclusive mobility program has already enabled more than 3,000 people in a situation of financial fragility to have access to a mobility solution. As a company convinced that mobility should be accessible to all, Renault Group intends to continue and accelerate, building on the experience gained over the last ten years:

• 94% of CareMakers beneficiaries consider that the vehicle has help them to find or maintain their job,
• The proportion of beneficiaries working on permanent contracts was multiplied by 2.5 after subscribing to the CareMakers program^[4].
• The average age of the vehicles of applicants who subscribe to the program, for those who already have a vehicle, is 22 years old^[5].
• Concerns related to owning an old vehicle have drastically decreased after the purchase, via the CareMakers programme, of a new car or a reconditioned and certified used car:
  • Fear of failure decreased from 88% to 0%,
  • From the unexpected bill for repairs decreased from 89% to 6%,
  • Fear of risk of an accident decreased from 85% to 2%^[6].
• 83% of the beneficiaries (new car) called felt a positive impact on their professional life, and 96% on their personal life^[7].

SOLIDARITY OFFERS THAT CAN CHANGE LIVES

To be eligible, you must live in metropolitan France, have a mobility need related to the professional project and meet the income requirements defined with the CareMakers programme partners, which are less than or equal to 14,000 euros of reference tax income per unit.

Applications are submitted directly by the person concerned or through a partner prescriber on https://www.caremakersmobility.com where all the steps are detailed, whether for the purchase or lease of a new or used vehicle or for maintenance services:

• Buying or leasing (long-term leasing or with a purchase option) new or used vehicles:

A sustainable solution that saves on fuel, maintenance and repair costs compared with an ageing car. This offer is designed for people on low incomes, with the first increased rent financed by microcredit.  

• Maintenance : discounts of around 40% (parts and labour) depending on the operations carried out, on garage prices in a network of over 300 CareMaker’s affiliated garages.

Today, Renault Group is going one step further and launching the "Voitures de future fonction" initiative. This additional offer, derived from current offers, is aimed particularly at people on trial period. This offer allows them to start paying for their vehicle from the 4th month, to give them time to secure their job.

To raise awareness of the CareMakers program among a wider audience, Renault Group has teamed up with Publicis to develop an advertising campaign explaining the “Voitures de future fonction" initiative:

• Link to the video case: https://youtu.be/7uwkF6Sbg3g
• Link to TV advert: https://youtu.be/stebv9XnYn0