Renault CEO on Affordable EVs, Regulation, and Europe's Small Car Future

Is regulation slowing down affordable EVs and can iconic small cars help fix it?! In this episode of the Everything Electric Podcast, Imogen Bhogal sits down with Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand and Chief Growth Officer, at Renault's Techno Centre outside Paris. They discuss what it will really take to make electric vehicles affordable in Europe; from the rebirth of the Renault Twingo to the regulatory changes shaping the industry. Fabrice reveals that 25% of Renault's engineering capacity is currently focused on navigating shifting European regulations, arguing that greater stability (without compromising safety) would allow manufacturers to concentrate on lowering costs for consumers. The conversation also explores the proposed M1E category for compact EVs under 4.2 metres, potentially Europe's answer to Japan's kei cars, and why Renault has decided to continue pursuing hybrids alongside fully electric models. Finally, Fabrice explains why bringing back icons like the Renault 5, Renault 4, and Twingo is about more than nostalgia and is all about trust, loyalty, and long-term value in an increasingly competitive market (ergo. China..) 00:00 Intro & Welcome 01:42 What does CEO of the Brand mean? 06:08 Why Renault is still thinking about hybrids 08:48 "Pluggable" vs. "Non-pluggable" customers 13:11 The M1E Category: Europe's answer to the Kei car? 15:43 Why regulations drive up EV costs 17:05 Why the Renault Zoe was discontinued 20:52 Reimagining the Twingo 25:24 Leveraging nostalgia and icons 32:17 Renault vs. Dacia: Managing the brand overlap 35:58 The future of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) 41:04 Fabrice's 2026 geopolitical magic wish Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel Everything Electric CARS: https://www.youtube.com/@fullychargedshow Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Everything Electric newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected] EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026 EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026 EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026 EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026 #fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electric-vehicles-uk #EverythingElectric #ElectricVehicles #EV #AffordableEV #Renault #Renault5 #Renault4 #Twingo #ElectricCars #EVNews #FutureOfMobility #CleanTransport #SustainableTransport #EuropeanEV #CityEV #SmallCars #EVPolicy #AutoIndustry #MobilityInnovation #EnergyTransition #EVPodcast