Flins Renault Factory
| Company type | Manufacturing facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Headquarters | Flins and Aubergenville , France |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Automobiles, metal and plastic parts |
Number of employees | 10,600 (1962) |
The Flins Renault Factory, internally referred to as the Pierre Lefaucheux Factory in honor of Renault's inaugural CEO following nationalisation, stands as a significant automobile production facility situated in Flins and Aubergenville, within the Yvelines department, approximately 40 km from Paris. It holds the distinction of being Renault Group's largest and, after the shutdown of the Boulogne-Billancourt site, the oldest manufacturing plant on mainland France. Conceived by architect Bernard Zehrfuss, the factory commenced operations in 1952 and covers an area of 237 hectares, with 67 hectares occupied by buildings.
By mid-2009, the factory had produced a total of 16.85 million vehicles.
History
The establishment of the Flins facility was part of Renault's strategy to decentralize production, aiming to alleviate the Billancourt plant from monotonous and stressful tasks that had previously led to labor disputes. Workforce numbers increased significantly from 2,100 employees in 1953 to 10,600 by 1962. The site also witnessed unrest during the nationwide protests in France in 1968.
Known for manufacturing legendary models such as the Dauphine, Flins produced 125,400 units of the Clio in 2009, which was less than the 179,495 units assembled at Renault’s Bursa facility that year.
In addition to vehicle assembly, the factory manufactures metal and plastic parts for both Renault and Nissan on a global scale, contributing to its sustained operational relevance compared to newer plants elsewhere in France. In November 2009, Flins was selected to produce Renault’s inaugural mass-market electric vehicle derived from the "Zoé" concept, accompanied by increased capacity for battery manufacturing and assembly.
As of , Flins was responsible for producing both fourth- and third-generation Renault Clio models along with the Renault Zoe, assembling a total of 129,884 vehicles during that year. Production expanded further in 2017 to include the Nissan Micra alongside the Zoe.
Production history
- Renault Dauphine (1956–1967)
- Renault 5 (1972–1985)
- Renault Clio (1990–2020)
- Renault Twingo (1992–2021)
- Renault Zoe (2012–2024)
- Nissan Micra (2017–2022)