| Société de Véhicules Automobiles de Batilly SNC | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Industry: | Automotive |
| Foundation: | 1 July 1980 |
| Location Country: | France |
| Key People: | Javier Novo (Director) |
| Products: | Master III |
| Production: | 126,461 (2015)[1] |
| Parent: | Renault |
| Homepage: | www.sovab-renault-batilly.fr |
| Batilly factory | |
| Employees: | 2,141 (February 2017) |
| Area: | 101 hectares |
| Volume: | 2,5 million |
| Address: | SOVAB Batilly, Zone industrielle, BP 2, 54980 Batilly, France |
The Société de Véhicules Automobiles de Batilly (pronounced as /fr/) (SoVAB) is a subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault, created in 1980 to operate the light commercial vehicle plant located at Batilly.[2]
The project to create a new facility at Batilly, Meurthe-et-Moselle, was begun by Renault's subsidiary Saviem in 1972. It was continued when Saviem was merged with Berliet to form Renault Véhicules Industriels (RVI).[3] The factory was constructed between 1976[4] and 1979. In 1980 Renault took from its subsidiary RVI a 25% stake of the factory's capital to form SOVAB. At the same year the factory started to manufacture the first-generation Master.[5] The first-generation Trafic was introduced in 1981 and the Renault B in 1982.[3] During the following years Renault collaborated with General Motors and in 1997,[6] they launched the Master II which was also marketed as Opel Movano. From 1995 onwards the Batilly factory became the sole assembler of the Trafic I and its German clone the Opel/Vauxhall Arena, after Chausson's Creil factory was closed down.[7] The model was discontinued in 2000. Renault kept Batilly when sold RVI to Volvo in 2001. In 2010 was introduced the Master III.[2]
The SOVAB complex comprises 101 hectares of which 181,838 m2 are covered. There is a single production line. The vehicles assembled by the company are sold by Renault, Opel, Vauxhall, Nissan and Renault Trucks. On 13 June 2013, SoVAB produced its 2,000,000th unit.[8]
Within SOVAB there is also a Renault Tech workshop which has 6,800 m2 and employs 72 people.[9]