The Beijing Motor Show is an unmissable event. It is also an opportunity for the boss of Renault to get noticed by going to meet Chinese manufacturers and their vehicles.
Luca de Meo, the boss of the Renault group, visited China for the Beijing motor show. This event, which takes place from April 25 to May 4, 2024, is now one of the largest automobile shows in terms of number of exhibitors. No fewer than 117 world premieres are being unveiled there this year. This is a great opportunity for European manufacturers to gauge what will happen on the electric car market in the coming months, first in China and potentially later in Europe for some of the manufacturers.
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The boss of the Renault group was spotted in the aisles of the show talking with different Chinese manufacturers. He notably made a notable appearance on the Xiaomi stand, which the boss of Xiaomi himself relayed on on April 27.
Tests of Chinese cars on the Renault boss's agenda
According to the media Auto Info, Luca de Meo would have taken advantage of his week-long stay in China to test different Chinese electric cars. Among the models tested, there is the Chinese electric car which has caused a lot of discussion since its launch on March 28: the Xiaomi SU7. An electric car that the boss of the Renault group would have appreciated.
The company manager also allegedly took the wheel of models from Dongfeng, Geely and Li Auto. Finally, tests of models from Leapmotor were also on the program of the stay, which was not lacking in excitement. The Leapmotor brand has joined forces with Renault's first competitor, the Stellantis group. It is he who will be responsible for ensuring the marketing of the Chinese brand in Europe from this summer. Luca de Meo certainly wanted to gauge whether Stellantis had made a good deal.
Luca de Meo held strategic discussions with certain manufacturers
Luca de Meo clearly did not come just to strut through the aisles of the show or to test drive a few vehicles. He met with various Chinese manufacturers to discuss “ China's spectacular advances in electric and intelligent vehicles “. This was confirmed by the Renault group's head of purchasing, partnerships and public affairs, Thomas Provost, in a Linkedin post.
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It cannot be ruled out that the Renault group, as well as its subsidiary Ampère, could seek to establish collaborations with Chinese companies: either with long-standing partners such as Dongfeng or Geely, or with new manufacturers. Li Auto and Xiaomi, as new players, particularly seem to have caught the attention of Luca de Meo.
The Renault boss even told the World that he found the Li Auto stand very interesting. It must be said that the manufacturer is exhibiting a minivan (mpv) which contrasts with the 5 meter SUVs and sedans on display on many Chinese manufacturers' stands.