Ampere, Renault Group’s electric vehicle division, has inaugurated its new battery cell laboratory at the Renault Group Technical Centre in Lardy, south of Paris. The 3,000-square-metre facility, announced last year, is dedicated to developing and testing battery cell prototypes to advance the company’s next generation of electric vehicles.
The laboratory integrates prototype cell development with detailed assessments of battery performance, durability, and charging behaviour. Equipped with over 120 advanced instruments across two floors, including a 600-square-metre drying room, the site enables electrophysical and chemical characterisation of cells. Ampere said the laboratory will play a strategic role in anticipating technological breakthroughs and ensuring Renault Group’s long-term competitiveness in the global EV market.
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“With this new laboratory, Ampere fully embraces its role as a pathfinder for Renault Group,” said Ampere CEO Josep Maria Recasens. “Our mission is to explore breakthrough technologies, identify the right partners, and secure the technological choices that will make a difference tomorrow. In such a strategic field as batteries, this ability to anticipate and guide is essential to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of our electric vehicles.”
Renault aims to gain greater control of the battery value chain through its network of partners, spanning from material sourcing to vehicle integration. Philippe Brunet, Renault Group’s chief technology officer, said the new lab will help consolidate Lardy’s role as a hub for EV research. “Having our own laboratory dedicated to battery cell innovation marks a major step forward for our engineering,” Brunet said. “Our goal is to make the Lardy Technical Center a true center of excellence in the field of electric vehicles.”
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The Lardy Technical Centre, established in 1951, was once focused on combustion engine development but has since transitioned to electric mobility. Alongside Ampere’s new laboratory, the site will soon host the E-Tech Campus of Renault’s ReKnow University, reinforcing the company’s broader push toward innovation and sustainability.
