Renault’s EV division Ampere revealed an ambitious battery plan integrating LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) technology alongside the NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese) batteries currently used by Renault Group.
This decision is an effective and cutting-edge response to market volatility and change in technologies.
Ampere works hand in hand with its suppliers LG Energy Solution and CATL to set up an integrated value chain on the European continent, to ensure the best competitiveness of LFP technology for its vehicles manufactured in Europe. These two partners will provide Ampere with LFP batteries that will equip several models of Renault and Alpine brands and will cover battery needs for this technology until 2030.
Ampere’s teams also lead with LG Energy Solution the development of Cell-to-Pack technology. This cutting-edge innovation is a world’s first for pouch-type batteries. It improves the range of vehicles by integrating more cells, and therefore more on-board energy, in a given space. Cell-to-pack technology also helps reduce battery costs.
The integration of LFP and Cell-to-Pack technologies will enable Ampere to reduce by around 20% the cost of batteries in its vehicles from beginning of 2026.
With four leading battery partners, Ampere is accelerating in a fast-changing environment, and demonstrates the efficiency of its horizontal approach, teaming up with the best in their field:
– AESC Envision located within Ampere ElectriCity hub, in Douai (France), for NCM batteries.
– CATL for LFP technology, from their plant in Hungary
– LGES for both NCM and LFP batteries, built in their plant in Poland
– Verkor for NCM technology, from its gigafactory based in Dunkerque (France)
Batteries are assembled at Ampere ElectriCity (France), in the Assembly Battery Shop of Douai Manufacture.
Thanks to progress made in LFP technology over the past few years and the development of the value chain in Europe, LFP technology is now a real alternative to NCM. Less energy-intensive than NCM, it is perfectly suited to certain applications, such as small and midsize cars. Less expensive, it is an important part of the economic equation for affordable electric vehicles and their democratization in Europe.
This technology will be installed in vehicles in record time: first models will be equipped with LFP Technology from early 2026.
“In a fast-changing and competitive environment, our battery strategy is proof of the efficiency of Ampere’s open and horizontal approach with best-in-class partners, ensuring smart capital allocation, flexibility and rapid execution. This plan is in line with Ampere roadmap to reduce costs by 40% before the next generation of vehicles”, said Josep Maria Recasens, Chief Operating Officer of Ampere.
“The work we’ve done with LG Energy Solution has enabled us to localize the entire value chain around LFP technology in Europe, and significantly increase its competitiveness, including with ‘Cell-to-Pack’. Innovation in batteries is ongoing, and we are working far upstream – in particular with our Innovation Battery Cell Laboratory to open in Lardy in 2025- to engage our partners early on with us, on the major transformations to come”, said Philippe Brunet, SVP Powertrain and EV engineering, Ampere.
