press releases
press releases

Mobilize news - April 2021

  • Mobilize Management Committee 
  • Interview with Clotilde Delbos, CEO of Mobilize 
  • An innovative approach to design 
  • Highlight... Renault Mobility 
  • Our latest Mobility news 
    • Renault Mobility expands in Toulouse 
    • Real estate project: Partnership with XXL Marseille 
  • Our latest Energy news 
    • Electric vehicle batteries supporting the national grid 
  • Press contact 

15 April 2021

MOBILIZE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 

Mobilize has its own dedicated Management Committee, headed by Clotilde Delbos, CEO of Mobilize brand. 

To know the complete composition of the Mobilize Management Committee, click here

INTERVIEW WITH CLOTILDE DELBOS, CEO MOBILIZE 

qr0igswwvq-phpdyxbkdWith Mobilize, we prepare Renault’s future

Clotilde Delbos, CEO Mobilize

What is the role of Mobilize brand in the Groupe Renault’s strategy? 

The automotive industry is changing. More and more drivers are choosing not to own their vehicles, which can be expensive compared to the use they make of them, especially in large cities. In some circumstances, it makes more sense to pay for a journey than having your own car. Moreover, we know that a new car loses half its value after three years. With Mobilize, we want to accompany these changes by developing flexible mobility offers that are complementary to owning an individual vehicle. 
The transformation of the automotive sector is our playground. It is a great opportunity for growth. If we don't seize it, others will. But we are more than legitimate because mobility has been our business for over 120 years! 

What assets can Mobilize rely on? 

During the presentation of the Renaulution strategic plan, we indicated our objective of generating 20% of the Group's turnover by 2030. This is our goal and we are confident we can achieve it because we are not starting from scratch.  
We belong to an automotive group driven by innovation. Mobilize embodies the Group's new approach to mobility and is part of the transformation of the sector.  
Mobilize brings together several initiatives and start-ups around mobility - Zity, Renault Mobility, Karhoo, iCabbi, Glide.io ... - and energy ecosystems. Our subsidiary Elexent, for example, is a perfect illustration of our know-how in the field of infrastructure and recharging solutions.  
This allows us to have a good understanding of the services our customers need. This is what Mobilize is all about: offering services that meet the expectations of consumers, companies, operators or territories.   
That's why when we design a vehicle like the EZ-1 Prototype, we think about the overall experience of its future user. This is what we call "purpose designed vehicles*", whether intended for the mobility of people or goods. 
Mobilize is a specific business unit with dedicated engineering and design teams and can also rely on the company's other resources. I would also like to emphasize the important role of our subsidiary RCI Bank and Services, which will provide financing and insurance services dedicated to our new activities.  
In addition, we can rely on more than 6,000 points of sale in Europe to effectively deploy our services.  
Moreover, the RE-FACTORY in Flins will be a solid backbone for Mobilize, particularly for the maintenance of car-sharing fleets and battery recycling.  
Finally, the Software Republic, this open innovation ecosystem will be an important asset for the Mobilize brand, which will be able to rely on the significant development skills that will be gathered there. 

* vehicles designed for a specific use 

What are Mobilize's main challenges? 

Culture change is our biggest challenge. From being a vehicle manufacturer, we need to become a service provider in our three main business areas: mobility, energy and data. This requires a fairly radical change of mindset. We must be in start-up mode while remaining within a large group. To do this, we must not hesitate to test, even if it means making mistakes, in other words to practice 'test and learn'. All the more so when the entire automotive sector is going through a difficult period and the company's resources are limited. We will have to be skillful, agile and enterprising. 

How is going the business unit set up? What will be Mobilize’s first achievements? 

Mobilize is three months old. It may not seem like much, but our strategy and roadmap are clear. We have a team in place, and we have prioritized our projects. Our car-sharing activities are developing particularly well and we should be entering new cities soon, both with our Zity offer, which now has more than 400,000 customers, and with Renault Mobility, which is being deployed in small and medium-sized cities, most recently in Toulouse. I am also proud to announce that we have started testing the sedan for taxi and PHV companies. The aim is to have the vehicle that is best suited to the services we want to offer. 
In terms of energy services, our energy storage business is up and running and we will be expanding it in the coming weeks and months. As part of the 'Advanced Battery Storage' project, the largest stationary energy storage system based on electric vehicle batteries in Europe, we have just connected the first installations to the national electricity grid in Douai. These batteries help regulate the grid by charging when demand for electricity is low and then feeding energy back into the grid when demand is high. 

A final word? 

Mobilize is a committed brand. By going beyond the automobile, we support our customers in their ecological transition through flexible and sustainable mobility and energy solutions, oriented towards use. We are at the forefront, preparing Groupe Renault’s future. 

AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN APPROACH 

Designing a mobility experience to respond to the problems of travel in urban areas and the needs of users, cities and operators... This was the challenge proposed and achieved by the teams of Patrick Lecharpy, Mobilize's Design Director. 

To discover or rediscover the story of this creative adventure, click here 

HIGHLIGHT... RENAULT MOBILITY 

Renault Mobility is Mobilize’s car sharing and agency-based car rental service.
Renault Mobility offers a wide range of Renault vehicles for hire (city cars, sedans, station wagons, utility vehicles, etc.), including electric vehicles, to meet the needs of individuals and professionals.   
Rentals range from 1 day to 1 month. And because mobility needs can be occasional, Renault Mobility also offers self-service vehicles on an hourly basis, available 24/7. Booking, payment and vehicle access is all done directly via the Renault MOBILITY smartphone app. For added peace of mind, fuel, insurance and a range of 50km per 24-hour period are already included in the price. 
Renault Mobility expands its car-sharing offer to companies, for their employees to use for work-related and private trips, and as replacement vehicles for the network customer service.  
Renault Mobility now has more than 200,000 customers in Europe, with a fleet of 2,300 vehicles (+12,000 in France in agencies).

OUR MOBILITY NEWS 

RENAULT MOBILITY EXPANDS IN TOULOUSE (FRANCE) 

Renault Mobility is pursuing its geographical expansion and is setting up in Toulouse with 15 vehicles proposed for car sharing. 

REAL ESTATE PROJECT: PARTNERSHIP WITH XXL MARSEILLE (FRANCE) 

Mobilize and XXL Marseille, a company bringing together Bouygues Immobilier and Linkcity (Bouygues Construction's property development subsidiary), recently signed a memorandum of understanding in the lead up to the roll out of a car-share scheme in the new "Les Fabriques" district in Marseille. 
The service, scheduled to be rolled-out in 2023, will be operated by Renault Mobility through Renault Retail Group.  
The future Mediterranean eco-district, "Les Fabriques", draws on the “maker culture” while conserving the district’s strong identity and flea market, so that people are greeted by an attractive, creative, and diverse view as they enter the city. The project showcases the historical soul of the neighborhood while focusing on innovation centred around users, the environment, and smart cities. The new district’s first apartments will be completed in 2023. 

OUR ENERGY NEWS 

ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL GRID 

Given the energy transition under way, energy storage is crucial to increasing the share of renewable energies in the energy mix. To meet this challenge, Groupe Renault launched the Advanced Battery Storage (ABS) project, the largest stationary energy storage system using electric vehicle batteries, to be deployed in France and Germany. This system - now part of the Mobilize ecosystem - aims to reach a capacity of 70 MWh.  
The ABS installation in Elverlingsen (Germany) will be connected to the German electricity grid Amprion in the coming days. The German site uses new Renault ZOE batteries that will be later used for after-sales purposes. The facility will have a capacity of 2.9 MWh. 
It is the second site to be connected to a national electricity grid; the first being the Renault Georges Besse plant in Douai, France. In late 2020, the France-base plant received the first ABS installation comprised of Renault ZOE batteries housed in containers, for a total capacity of 4.7 MWh. Two battery types are used: second life batteries and new batteries. The facility was hooked up to the national grid RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Electricité) on January 25th, 2021 and has since been used to help regulate energy production-consumption differentials experienced on the grid in real-time.  

Vanessa Loury

Vanessa Loury

Mobilize Communications

Mobilize manages mobility, energy, and data services. It is part of Groupe Renault. Built around open ecosystems, Mobilize provides flexible mobility solutions and promotes a sustainable energy transition, in line with Groupe Renault’s target to reach carbon neutrality and its ambition to develop value from the circular economy. 

Mobilize manages mobility, energy, and data services. It is part of Groupe Renault. Built around open ecosystems, Mobilize provides flexible mobility solutions and promotes a sustainable energy transition, in line with Groupe Renault’s target to reach carbon neutrality and its ambition to develop value from the circular economy.