A few years back, Renault launched Mobilize with plenty of fanfare—a separate division focused on everything beyond traditional car sales. We're talking car-sharing schemes, fast-charging networks, battery recycling, and even a tiny urban electric vehicle. It all sounded like the way forward, with bold targets for it to make up a serious chunk of revenue by 2030. But now, at the end of 2025, the party's over. Mobilize Beyond Automotive, as it was officially known, is largely being wound down.
Production of the cute little Mobilize Duo—a compact electric two-seater that echoed the old Twizy—has stopped immediately. And the upcoming van version, the Bento, has been scrapped entirely.
The reason for this sudden halt? It simply wasn't profitable enough. Car-sharing services like Zity in Madrid and Milan were running, but they weren't bringing in sufficient returns. Grand plans for a widespread Mobilize fast-charging network have been scaled right back, limited to just a handful of sites in France and Italy. In Belgium, nothing at all. Renault has admitted these initiatives weren't aligning with core priorities and the margins were too slim. In an industry facing tough times—slowing EV sales, massive investments, and cut-throat competition—the company is choosing to focus on what actually pays the bills: building and selling solid, affordable electric cars.
It's a pragmatic move, even if it's a shame for fans of that zippy little Duo scooting around town with zero emissions. Car-sharing looks great on paper, but in practice, it often turns into a money-pit hobby. Renault is keeping the bits that do work: the Charge Pass for easy access to charging points across Europe, and clever tech like vehicle-to-grid, where your car feeds power back to the network. Those energy activities will continue, just integrated into the main group.
For the electric future, this is actually positive news. Instead of spreading resources thin on side projects that don't take off, Renault is doubling down on proper 100% electric models that people genuinely want to own and drive every day. No more distractions—just full speed ahead on what works.
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