The Slovenian subsidiary of the French carmaker Renault will start producing a redesigned version of the Twingo electric model in 2026.
The Revoz plant in Novo Mesto is expected to produce 150,000 cars a year. The value of the investment has not yet been officially disclosed, but Slovenian media reported that Renault plans to spend at least half a billion euros in Novo Mesto and create 800 new jobs, making it the largest investment foreigner in Slovenia until now.
A new era begins for Revoz
The step marks a new era for Revoz, one of the biggest companies in Slovenia, which has been building Renault models since 1973.
Revoz assembled the Renault Clio and Twingo models with a combustion engine until recently. Only the Clio 5 is currently assembled there in one shift, while the memorandum will allow Revoz, which currently has 1,400 workers, to maintain car production.
Strategic investment for Slovenia
The government identified the investment as strategic and expressed its firm will to support the production of electric cars at Revoz. Talks started a year and a half ago, when the future of Revoz was quite uncertain, with the number of shifts decreasing along with the number of workers.
The figures are to be revealed by the Minister of Economy, Matjaž Han. For now, however, he declined to discuss how much the government will contribute to the Twingo investment.
“The state is ready to provide funds, maybe 20 million euros, maybe 30 million euros, in accordance with the investment law”he said, adding that the negotiations were not easy.
The memorandum includes a commitment to maintain headcount. Although production volumes will be slightly reduced next year, there will be no staff cuts as the Clio, which Revoz will assemble until production of the new Twingo goes into production, is selling very well.
Renault’s investment involves investing in equipment, in developing the production process, decarbonizing the plant and preparing it for sustainable mobility, as well as in employee training.
A possible rival for Dacia Spring
Renault presented the concept of the new Twingo electric model late last year. Twingo E-tech electric is a response to the needs of the European car market. This small city car is expected to be available at the price of 20,000 EURO.
Source: www.promotor.ro
