Renault would consider cooperating with AvtoVAZ on electric cars after the Russian manufacturer completes its reorganization, chief operating officer Patrick Pelata said Tuesday.
The French carmaker has discussed jointly developing the models in Russia, Pelata said in an interview in Copenhagen, where Renault is presenting prototypes during the United Nations-sponsored talks on climate change.
"The mayor of Moscow is starting to seriously consider electric vehicles because of the pollution," Pelata said.
Renault plans to start rolling out electric vehicles in 2011, when Pelata predicts a "strong trend" in demand as oil production fails to keep pace with economic recovery and fuel prices soar. Sales will increase fastest in China and India, he said.
Progress at AvtoVAZ will be one of "a number of key catalysts" for Renault in the first half of next year, Stuart Pearson, a Credit Suisse analyst, said in a report Tuesday.
Electric-car demand in Russia will be more subdued than in other emerging markets because of the extent of the country's economic crisis, Pelata said. Talks on low-emissions technology haven't been "deep" as AvtoVAZ focuses on its recovery, the executive said.
