Background and Identification
Renault is a multinational automaker established in 1899. Renault is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. The company manufactures cars and vans but has also produced trucks, auto-rail vehicles, tractors, aircraft and aircraft engines, tanks, and buses. Renault is also recognized for its performance in rallying, Formula 1, and Formula E motorsports.
The Renault corporation was founded by brothers Louis, Marcel, and Fernand Renault in 1899 as Société Renault Frères (Society of the Renault Brothers). Louis Renault invented an innovative direct drive gear that included no drive belt and produced exceptional uphill performance for the era. In 1903, Renault began producing its own engines. By 1907, many taxis in London and Paris were Renault automobiles. In 1963, Renault produced the first serial automobile with a four-wheel disc brake system. In 1999, the Renault-Nissan Alliance was formed. While both Renault and Nissan operate as separate companies, they collaborate on technology to reduce costs.
In 2011, Renault launched an electric vehicle program with Nissan, and the Group sold nearly 300,000 electric vehicles by December 2019. In 2013, Renault became the top-selling manufacturer of electric vehicles in Europe. In 2016, Renault was the ninth-largest automobile manufacturer by production volume in the world. In 2017, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance became the world’s top seller of light vehicles.
Renault automobiles can be identified by the Renault emblem, which portrays a diamond with flattened top and bottom points.