Groupe Renault - 2019 Universal Registration Document

01

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GROUPE RENAULT

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1.4

2019

2018

2017

2016 2,284

2015 1,990

Net R&D expenses (€ million)  (1)

3,176 (2) 55,537

3,043  (2) 57,419

2,609  (2) 58,770 4.60% 19,721

Group revenues (€ million) as published

51,243 4.50% 18,120

45,327 4.40% 16,605

R&D spend ratio

5.7%

5.3%

R&D headcount, Groupe Renault

23,586 (2)

23,451  (2)

Groupe Renault patents

1,040

816 375

683 235

565

479

of which co-owned Renault and Nissan

484

o/w AVTOVAZ

99

35

33

= R&D expenses – R&D expenses billed to third parties and others. (1) Value including AVTOVAZ. (2)

The car of the future 1.4.1 The automotive industry is experiencing a revolution, and the car of the future will be electric, autonomous and shared. This implies developing technologies and processes, finding partnerships and operating choices. To meet these challenges, Groupe Renault is adapting by innovating, by collaborating with new players (including start-ups), and by defining new working methods. Research into connected vehicles and electric vehicles Vehicles are increasingly connected to the world around them. In 2019, several projects combining connectivity and electric vehicles were begun. RENAULT EZ-FLEX, the experimental, electric, connected and modular light commercial vehicle Conceived and designed for urban deliveries, it analyzes data supplemented by feedback from business professionals to better understand urban delivery needs on a daily basis. It is 100% electric for sustainable mobility with a range of 150km. It is a compact vehicle with an excellent load volume/length ratio thanks to a compact cabin, designed to make it easier for drivers to get in and out of the vehicle frequently. Exceptional maneuverability: a turning radius of 4.5m. Designed for the different ways customers want to use the vehicle, it can be tailor-made, with an interchangeable rear module. Innovative, it has a new smartphone-inspired Human Machine Interface (HMI). Connected, the HMI offers vehicle-related services and can embed applications designed for different professional activities.

With this two-year experiment, Renault is launching a new approach to prepare and design the cars of the future. A fleet of 10 vehicles has been launched, and two of them have been loaned for testing in a large city and by a delivery professional. in the city of Montpellier, one is being used to carry out urban P deliveries for the local authority; the second vehicle is being tested by La Poste for parcel deliveries P in the Paris region. The need for testing Field Operational Tests (FOTs) for Robot-Taxis enable interdependent aspects to be investigated: technological advances; P To explore the complexity of these various aspects in full, FOTs must be designed progressively for the acquisition of data with increasing levels of difficulty. These tests, which can be compared to working in “Agile” mode, provide the building blocks for becoming a mobility operator in line with the 2022 MTP objectives. They enable the study of: autonomous mobility service acceptance, collection of new data, P the interaction of vehicles and their environment; the ideal vehicle: its size, number and positions of passengers, P interior space, accessibility, speed, etc.; the technological aspects of autonomous driving (perception, P positioning, etc.); additional necessary information from the infrastructure to P ensure connectivity and safety; local operating methods; P the service platform. P They also make it possible to acquire skills and experience to better understand the new ecosystem surrounding mobility. usage scenarios; P user experience; P business models, etc. P

78 GROUPE RENAULT I UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2019

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