 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | Saviem Berliet Dodge UK |
| Founded | 1978 (as a merger betweenSaviem andBerliet)[2][3] |
| Headquarters | Saint-Priest,Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France |
Key people |
|
| Products | Trucks, military vehicles |
| Revenue |  €5.73billion (2022)[5] |
 €120.1million (2022)[5] | |
Number of employees | 7,554 (2018)[5] |
| Parent | Volvo |
| Subsidiaries | Renault Trucks Defense |
| Website | www.renault-trucks.com |
Renault Trucks is a French commercial truck manufacturer with corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest nearLyon. Originally part ofRenault, it has been a subsidiary ofVolvo since 2001.
From its beginnings in 1978 to 2002, the company was calledRenault Véhicules Industriels (Renault Industrial Vehicles), from 1992 on officially written asRenault V. I.. Until 2002, Renault Véhicules Industriels also manufactured buses.
Renault first began building dedicated commercial trucks in 1906.[6] In 1956, however Renault stopped producing trucks and buses under its own name. Instead, the companySaviem was formed as a subsidiary of their own commercial products with the manufacturersSomua andLatil.[2] Lighter commercials kept on using the Renault name, however. From 1957 on, Saviem was also used as the brand name for the trucks and buses produced by the company.
As a result of French industrial policy, in 1975 state-owned Renault also acquired the truck and bus manufacturerBerliet fromCitroën[7] (at that time a part of theMichelin corporation). In 1978, Berliet and Saviem were merged to form Renault Véhicules Industriels. Again, the old brand names were retained for two more years while the model lineups were gradually incorporated, until in 1980 they were replaced by the name Renault.
In 1971, Saviem became a member of the Euro Truck Development Group orClub of Four, a cooperation between four European truck producers (Saviem,Volvo,DAF andMagirus-Deutz, which soon after became a part ofIveco) for the production of medium-sized trucks. Since 1975 the truck models resulting from this cooperation were built by Saviem[8] and later Renault, even until 2001. They were also sold on the North American market as theMack Mid-Liner orManager.
In 1978,PSA Group boughtChrysler's European operations.[9] Included in the deal were commercial vehicle operations in the UK and Spain, which at that time used the brand nameDodge. PSA however sold them on to RVI in 1983, having itself little interest in the commercial vehicle market.[10] The newly acquired operations in the UK had their origins in the commercial vehicle branch of theRootes Group which originally carried the brand namesKarrier andCommer.[11] Some of the models built there were continued in production for several years by RVI inDunstable, Bedfordshire, who also kept the Dodge brand name for these models, albeit in combination with the Renault badge. In 1988 the company was subject to aFire Brigades Union inquiry due to eight Dodge fire engines involved in crashes.[12] Until 1992 the UK division was known as Renault Truck Industries, after which it then took the international Renault V.I. name.
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In Spain, however, where Renault already was recognized as a local automobile producer, the Dodge trucks, which originally had been developed by the manufacturerBarreiros Diesel,[13] were rebadged as Renaults and soon after replaced by French-designed models.
In 1987, Renault Véhicules Industriels took over from its parent company Renault a 42%stake in the American manufacturerMack Trucks[14] which became a fully owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels in 1990.[15]
In 1991, RVI purchased a 37.5% shareholding in French bodybuilder Heuliez Bus.[16][17] In 1994, RVI purchased a 34% stake in the Czech bus manufacturerKarosa, increasing its ownership to a majority 51% in 1996 and 96% in 2000.[18] In 1997 Renault V. I. entered into a cooperation agreement with the Finnish truck producerSisu. In 2002 the company signed a deal with the Chinese companyDongfeng Motor to manufacture engines.[19]
Renault Trucks took part in theFIA European Championship, running Renault Premium powered by 13-litre DXi13 engines. The Renault Trucks-MKR Technology team won in 2010.
Also, the Uruguayan plant of cars owned by Nordex S.A. in Uruguay has made since 2004 the Renault Trucks models like Midlum series.[20]
The Volvo Group invested about €2 billion to develop a new line of Renault Trucks vehicles (C, D, K, T) which were introduced through 2013 replacing the previous models.[21]
As part ofRenault's restructuring following privatisation in 1996, the heavy vehicles operations of bus and truck were divested. In 1999, the Renault and Karosa bus and coach operations were split off from Renault Véhicules Industriels and merged with Fiat-Iveco's bus and coach operations to form the jointly owned subsidiaryIrisbus.[18] In 2003, Irisbus became a full subsidiary of Iveco and the brand Renault on its products was replaced by the brand Irisbus.
In April 2000, Renault agreed to terms withVolvo to purchase its truck manufacturing business with Volvo in turn to relinquish its 15% shareholding in Renault and Renault buy a 20% shareholding in Volvo.[22][23] The transaction which included Mack Trucks, but not Renault's stake in Irisbus, was completed on 2 January 2001. RVI was renamed Renault Trucks in 2002.[24] In October 2010 Renault reduced its shareholding in Volvo to 5%.[25] In December 2012, Renault sold its remaining shares in Volvo.[26]
TheRenault Trucks Defense division is wholly owned by Renault Trucks and is based inVersailles, France. It trades on its 1975 acquisition ofBerliet and claims to have over 30,000 vehicles in use around the world.[27] Its status as the leading supplier to theFrench Army was put in jeopardy in 2010 when the government placed a $214m order to Italian competitorIveco.[28] In 2016, Volvo announced its intention of divesting Renault Trucks Defense, as part of the selling of its Government Sales division.[29]
It manufactures a range of special vehicles aimed at the defense and security markets, including theSherpa,VAB armoured personnel carrier, the AMC armoured multirole carrier andKerax ranges.
In May 16, 2006 Renault Trucks took overACMAT,[30] but the defence and security vehicle manufacturer retained its own name and identity.
On 24 May 2018, Renault Trucks Defense was renamed asArquus.[31]
In 2023, Sparrow Recovery took delivery of the first 120 tonne Renault Truck C520 recovery vehicle currently operating in the UK.[34]
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