Renault CEO says EV orders jumped 50% amid Iran war

Renault CEO François Provost told Reuters on Wednesday that EV orders surged 50% in France and Germany since the Iran war began.yahoo
The automaker is considering extra production shifts at plants in France and Slovenia to meet demand, as suppliers operate beyond capacity.yahoo
Provost urged the EU to push Chinese automakers to source parts in Europe and called for cheaper battery production at Renault’s Douai facility.reuters

Renault EV Orders Jump 50% in France and Germany as Iran War Fuels Demand

Renault Group CEO François Provost said the company’s electric vehicle order book has surged by 50% in France and Germany since the start of the Iran war, as higher fuel prices accelerate a consumer shift away from combustion engines.

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Provost said the automaker is working to keep pace with demand and has formed a task force to address supply constraints. “Our suppliers are currently operating beyond their capacity due to the war in Iran,” Provost said. The company is considering adding extra production shifts in the second half of the year at EV plants in Douai and Maubeuge in France, as well as Novo Mesto in Slovenia.yahoo

A Broader European Trend

The surge at Renault mirrors a wider shift across the European auto market. Battery-electric vehicle registrations jumped 51% in March across 14 EU and EFTA markets, with more than 224,000 new EVs registered in a single month, bringing EVs to 22% of all new car sales. In the first four months of 2026, fully electric car sales in Europe rose by 29%, approaching one million units.thenextweb

In France specifically, new EV registrations were up 55% in the first five months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with electric cars accounting for 27.8% of all new passenger car registrations, up from 17.8% in 2025. The Renault 5 E-Tech has been a standout performer, topping the French EV market in April with 3,418 registrations.connexionfrance

Demand May Ease, but Transition Continues

Provost acknowledged the demand spike may not last indefinitely. Once the conflict in Iran concludes and fuel prices stabilize, the current level of enthusiasm “will diminish,” he said, but added that the transition to electric mobility will continue to gain momentum. “We have already adjusted our projections” for EV sales, Provost said.yahoo

The CEO also called on Chinese battery manufacturer Envision AESC to begin producing cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate batteries at Renault’s Douai facility, a move that could help the automaker offer more competitively priced EVs. Separately, Provost urged the EU to encourage Chinese car makers to source parts in Europe rather than simply assembling vehicles there.reuters