Renault to Build Electric Kangoo in Maubeuge, France

French carmaker Renault today announced that it will produce the electric Kangoo Express LCV at the MCA plant (Maubeuge Carrosserie Automobile) in northern France. Operations will begin in the first half of 2011 and will be handled by the same production line as the internal combustion versions.

Maubeuge is currently in charge of several Kangoo flavors, including the base Kangoo, Kangoo Express and Kangoo be bop. According to Renault, the zero-emission Kangoo will be intended for urban and peri-urban use.

"This option will allow the Group to start up industrial production quickly, while guaranteeing the highest level of quality of build," the company said in a release.

Renault also announced last week that it will produce its future zero-emission car based on the Zoe Z.E. Concept at the Flins production facility near Paris starting mid-2012.

"The Flins choice is also based on Renault’s objective to produce cars as close as possible to the markets in which they will be sold, namely Europe, to optimize logistics flows. The Flins site will thus become a central hub in Renault's EV activity, producing the company's core-range electric model as well as manufacturing and recycling batteries," Renault said in a release.

Additionally, the French site will handle production of batteries starting mid-2012, with a production goal of 100,000 units per year. The batteries produced by the plant will be available for sale to any manufacturer, but the Renault-Nissan alliance plans to use them at factories in France, the UK and Portugal for its very own vehicles sourced from Europe and Turkey.