According to Automotive News, Renault Group's electric vehicle (EV) division, Ampere, has announced that its Chief Operating Officer, Josep Maria Recasens, will succeed Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as Ampere's Chief Executive Officer.
Ampere oversees all of Renault Group's fully electric vehicle factories-most of which are located in northern France-and focuses on EV research and development. The company reportedly has around 10,000 employees.
Recasens holds an engineering degree from the University of Girona in Spain. He began his automotive career in 2002 with SEAT, a Volkswagen Group brand, where he held roles in R&D, product planning, and international projects. In 2017, he was appointed SEAT's Chief Strategy Officer. In 2021, Recasens joined Renault Group as Senior Vice President, leading strategy and business development. In November 2023, he was named COO of Ampere.
Automotive News noted that Recasens' appointment comes at a critical time for Renault Group's EV business. To meet the EU's emissions regulations, Ampere aims to boost Renault Group's EV market share to over 20% by 2027. The company is also developing two EV models priced under €20,000-the next-generation Renault Twingo and its Dacia-branded counterpart-to compete against Chinese automakers.
In a statement, Recasens said:
"We plan to launch the Twingo and our first software-defined vehicle in 2026, followed by a new range of compact EVs in 2028, while striving to reduce costs by 40%. To achieve this, we have laid out a roadmap aligned with our ambitions: to become the benchmark for the European automotive industry."
Additionally, Ampere announced other leadership changes:
Maria Ollier, who joined Renault Group from Faurecia in 2024, will take on the role of Head of Human Resources.
Sandra Gomez, currently responsible for product planning and software, will expand her scope to include strategy.
Vittorio d'Arienzo, previously in charge of platform strategy, will now serve as Global Product Lead.
Ampere was originally spun off from Renault Group in 2023 with plans to go public via an initial public offering (IPO) or other mechanisms. However, this plan was canceled in January 2024 due to waning investor enthusiasm for EV startups. Nissan has pledged to invest up to €600 million in Ampere, while Mitsubishi has committed up to €200 million.
