SUMMARY

• 30% revenue growth in Q1 fueled by premium models and higher prices
• Shifting gears towards higher-margin and electric vehicles for a profitable future
• Ambitious 2023 targets and new model launches to keep the momentum going

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! That's what French carmaker Renault did, and it's paying off. Despite some setbacks, Renault is cruisin' on up with a 30% revenue growth in the first quarter. What's revving their engines? A bounce-back in sales, higher prices, and some snazzy new premium models. They've got the electric Megane, Arkana, and Austral under their hood, and it's giving them a 14.1% sales increase – that's 535,000 units after four years of declines.

Renault faced some bumpy roads with the Covid-19 crisis and a global chip shortage, but they're not swerving off course. Their pit stop strategy involves focusing on higher-margin and electric vehicles to amp up their profits. Renault's got a lineup of cool new rides in the works, including an SUV version of their Espace minivan, a restyled Clio city car, and a whopping 12 new models in 2024.

Renault's 2023 goals are set: a group operating margin of at least 6% and an automotive operational free cash flow of at least 2 billion euros. They're on track with a 3.3-month European orderbook at the end of Q1, aiming to stay above their 2-month target through 2023. European sales alone sped up by 27.3% in the first three months, leaving the market's 16.2% average increase in the dust.

Once a trailblazer in the electric vehicle (EV) race, Renault hit some speed bumps thanks to Tesla's meteoric rise. But they're not sitting in the slow lane – they're reevaluating their worldwide prices after Tesla slashed theirs in the US, China, and Europe.

Last year, Renault secured third place in European EV sales, trailing behind Tesla and Volkswagen. But with their electrifying comeback, who knows? They might just overtake their rivals in the fast lane.
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