Renault Group said on Tuesday that its EV and software division Ampere has signed a joint development agreement with Basquevolt to develop lithium metal-based batteries for future electric vehicles.
The deal targets roughly 30% lower capital investment per gigawatt-hour in cell manufacturing and 30% less energy consumed per kilowatt-hour produced.
The collaboration’s immediate goal is “to meet the requirements of Pre-A Sample prototypes,” according to the French automaker — an early-stage milestone in battery development that typically precedes commercial cell validation by several years.
Basquevolt’s technology combines a polymer electrolyte with an advanced anode, which the companies said allows fora simpler, more efficient, and cheaper production process than conventional liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion cells.
The collaboration with Basquevolt’s main goal is “to meet the requirements of Pre-A Sample prototypes”, according to the French automaker.
Basquevolt’s new battery technology combines a polymer electrolyte with an advanced anode, allowing for a simpler, more efficient, and cheaper production process.
The group mentioned that the new technology will reduce capital investment per GWh in a conventional gigafactory and cut energy consumption by 30% per kWh produced.
Lithium metal-based cells offer substantially higher energy density than today’s lithium-ion batteries, though the technology remains in the development phase and has not yet been produced at automotive scale.
As reported on Tuesday by Reuters, a surge in battery storage is boosting lithium demand forecasts for this year, raising hopes of a faster recovery for an industry that has been weighed down by oversupply.
Renault’s Battery Strategy
The Basquevolt agreement adds an exploratory layer to a battery supply chain that Ampere has been building across four established partners. AESC Envision supplies NCM cells from its gigafactory adjacent to Renault’s ElectriCity plant in Douai, France.
CATL provides LFP cells from Hungary, LG Energy Solution delivers both NCM and LFP from Poland under a five-year, 39-GWh contract, and Verkor supplies NCM from Dunkerque.
Unlike those production-scale supply deals, the Basquevolt partnership is focused on R&D validation of a technology that has not yet reached commercial readiness.
Basquevolt History
Basquevolt was founded in early 2023 in the Basque Country, in Spain, as a solid-state battery initiative, aiming to produce 10 GWh of next-generation battery cells by 2027.
The battery company is backed by the Basque Government, as well as Iberdrola, CIE Automotive, Enagás, EIT InnoEnergy, and CIC energiGUNE.
Last March, the firm secured nearly €10 million — equivalent to $11.8 million — in funds from investors, such as Ekarpen, Stellum, and CDTI Innvierte.
The company said at the time it had signed agreements with two major automotive OEMs, though it did not disclose their identities.
Four months later, Basquevolt was selected by the European Commission’s EIC Accelerator program, earning a top score.
The company also received a €2.5 million ($2.9 million) subsidy, with the potential to reach €10 million, to support the industrial manufacturing of its solid-state electrolyte technology.
Pablo Fernández Santos, a former Renault executive who served as Basquevolt’s founding chief technology officer, took over as CEO in March 2025.
Ampere Closure
Last month, Reuters reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the situation, that Renault Group will close Ampere on the first day of July.
The unit was established in 2023 to group all of Renault’s EV and software activities into a standalone company, with an IPO initially planned for 2024. That listing was abandoned amid a broader EV market slowdown in Europe.
The closure came one month after the company dismantled Mobilize, its mobility services unit.
Renault’s CEO François Provost shared the consolidation plan with unions then, which noted that the EV and software unit’s 11,000 employees were not expected to be laid off.
Following this update, the French Confederation of Management – General Confederation of Executives (CFE-CGC) union highlighted that the group’s management was “adapting the organization to the current reality.”
EV Production Plans in Spain
Last Thursday, alongside the release of Renault Group’s 2025 full-year results, Provost mentioned that the company is eyeing its Palencia plant in Spain for production of its next-generation compact EVs.
Until now, the group has manufactured all its battery electric vehicles (BEV) at its French factories.
The consideration comes as the firm expands its BEV portfolio in Europe, which includes the new Twingo E-Tech electric, launched at last month’s Brussels Motor Show.
