Automaker Renault is setting out ambitious goals for its new combined electric vehicle and software business, saying it will “democratize” the market for battery-powered cars in Europe by making them as affordable as gasoline- or diesel-powered models within the next several years. Combining electric vehicles and software in the new independent company Ampere will mean shorter development times and lower costs as the company faces tough competition from U.S.-based Tesla and Chinese carmakers who are making rapid progress.
