Ampere, the Renault Group’s European specialist in intelligent electric vehicles, plays a key role in the Group’s innovation strategy. Maxime Bayon de Noyer, Senior Vice President, Technologies & Upstream Projects, explains the priorities, the main areas of research and the challenges facing the next generation of electric vehicles.
What is Ampere’s role in the Renault galaxy, and what is your role within Ampere?
Maxime Bayon de Noyer: Ampere is a tech player serving the Renault Group, developing electric vehicles (EVs) under the Renault brand and injecting EV technologies and software for other brands (Alpine, Nissan, Mitsubishi…). Ampere’s aim is to make electric vehicles accessible to as many people as possible in Europe. My role is to manage ‘upstream’ technological projects, in other words… upstream of development! We’re involved from the research phase right through to the handover to the production development teams.
What are your current priorities in terms of innovation?
Maxime Bayon de Noyer: In order to democratise the EV in Europe, we need to lower costs and maximise usage. So, to reduce the cost of batteries, we’re working on the materials used and looking at new chemistries. As for electric motors, Renault Group is a pioneer in magnetless wound-rotor motors, which do not use rare earths (notably with Zoé). At Ampere, we are pursuing and improving this technology in our next generations of motors, to make them more efficient by, for example, reducing losses during energy transfer.
MBN: In the short term, we are going to introduce LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry into our batteries, then in the medium term, we are studying a cobalt-free chemistry, which will have the energy density of NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) but with the cost and tolerance of LFP. Finally, 10 years from now, we will be proposing an even more efficient chemistry based on lithium metal. The aim is to offer increasingly efficient batteries at lower cost.
What do you think will be the next major technological revolution in the automotive industry?
MBN: For me, the revolution will come from a change in usage. The aim is an efficient electric car, with fast, optimised and stable recharging, whatever the season or type of road. And all this with an electric vehicle at the same price as a combustion-powered vehicle.
The R5 introduced two-way charging to the Renault catalogue. What’s in it for the consumer?
MBN: In V2L (Vehicle to Load), bi-directional recharging means you can use your car as a generator and therefore a mobile power socket, and in V2G (Vehicle-To-Grid), when the vehicle is parked, it can feed energy back into the grid, like a mini power station. This re-injected energy is invaluable during periods of high demand: it stabilises the network, prevents power cuts… and can be sold on, generating income for the user. Finally, in V2H (Vehicle to Home), which will be available in 2026, the vehicle can power the home in the same way as a mobile solar panel. This means, for example, that the energy stored in the battery can be used during peak hours to reduce the bill. The system is controlled by AI and always maintains the autonomy required for travel.
Any other innovations you can share with us?
MBN: Some are still confidential, but we are currently working on the renewal of our C segment (compact hatchbacks and three-bodies), with a new engine offering very good performance on the motorway. This breakthrough has been made possible by an innovative platform, enabling a ground-breaking design and overall optimisation. At Ampere, our ambition is clear: to make electric cars as affordable, desirable and practical as internal combustion. And this is not science fiction.
A final word on China: are they really 10 years ahead of us?
MBN: They have a head start, but we’re still fully in the race. Our strength lies in our in-depth knowledge of the French and European markets, acquired over the years. This expertise gives us a strategic advantage, because we understand exactly what our customers want and need. At the same time, we remain humble in the face of their efficiency, organisation and speed. It’s with this in mind that we remain vigilant and have opened an office in Shanghai, in order to better observe and anticipate market developments.
