Renault Prepares 800 Voluntary Departures in its French Engineering Division

Reorganization of French Engineering

Renault's engineering division employs about 5,500 staff in France. The plan presented envisages the departure of 800 individuals, just under 15% of the workforce involved in France. Philippe Brunet, the group's technology director, specified that there would be no forced departures: exits would take the form of negotiated departures or activity exemptions, similar to early retirements. The scheme is to be completed by the end of 2027, after a phase of discussion with employee representatives.

Simplifying Developments to Accelerate Decisions

Renault describes this workforce reduction as part of a broader transformation of its technical organization. The automaker aims to reduce cross-functional roles, coordination levels, and the volume of meetings to speed up decision-making in vehicle development. According to Philippe Brunet, the design of a vehicle, currently structured around 44 elements, should be streamlined to 27 blocks by the end of the year. The group also targets a 30% reduction in deliverables required from engineers and a 20% decrease in the number of meetings.

Chinese Competitive Pressure as a Backdrop

This reorganization occurs as Renault seeks to align its development timelines and costs with those of Chinese manufacturers. According to data cited by Le Figaro, these manufacturers accounted for less than 3% of the European market in 2024, up from 8.8% at the end of May. Philippe Brunet indicates that Renault does not wish to abandon the development of its own technologies to purchase from Chinese competitors, but it must enhance its competitiveness to continue mastering them internally.