1. Envision founder and CEO Zhang Lei stated at the VivaTech conference in Paris that Europe’s efforts to scale artificial intelligence (AI) are exposing bottlenecks in its aging power grids, and that every industrial revolution in history has been accompanied by an energy revolution. [para. 1][para. 2]
2. Zhang argued that Europe needs dedicated renewable energy systems to support deep electrification and rising AI computing demand, describing the current grid as “not capable.” He said the ideal AI energy system should be “off-grid, 100% renewable, and intelligent at extremely low cost.” [para. 3]
3. Envision has already achieved power costs of 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour for an AI data center in the Gobi Desert. Zhang suggested that desert regions rich in wind and solar could serve as low-cost power bases for future computing demand. The company also launched Mission Gobi, a plan to build 5 gigawatts of green AI data center capacity in desert and arid regions by 2030. [para. 4][para. 5]
4. The Shanghai-headquartered Envision, which produces wind turbines, energy storage systems, and batteries, has become a major Chinese player in Europe’s clean-tech supply chain. Its majority-owned battery unit AESC built a €2 billion ($2.3 billion) gigafactory in Douai, northern France, last year to supply French carmaker Renault SA’s electric-vehicle lineup. [para. 6]
5. Renault Group CEO Francois Provost described the partnership with Envision as a success and a “risk-taking challenge.” The collaboration helped make Renault’s electric R5 SUV more competitive; the Renault 5 E-Tech became Europe’s second best-selling EV in the passenger car market in 2025. [para. 7][para. 8]
6. Provost called the partnership an example of how Europe can localize part of the EV value chain while working with Chinese partners. Zhang described the project as a case study in European green industrialization, saying, “We made in Europe, with Europeans, for Europe.” [para. 9]
7. Despite the European Union imposing countervailing duties on China-made EVs, China remained the EU’s largest source of auto imports in 2024, with shipments surging about 30% year-on-year to exceed 1 million cars for the first time. Meanwhile, the value of wind turbine exports from China to the EU rose 65.9% in 2025. [para. 10]
8. Chinese companies’ expansion in Europe comes as the region tries to decarbonize and reindustrialize without losing ground to the U.S. and China. In March, Brussels proposed the Industrial Accelerator Act, requiring EVs to be assembled within the EU and source at least 70% of non-battery components locally to qualify for public procurement and government subsidies. [para. 11][para. 12]
9. Executives warned that Europe’s industrial ambitions are slowed by regulation, capital constraints, and a lack of urgency. Provost called for more pragmatism in industrial policy, especially in the auto sector, where regulation has pushed up costs and made electric cars less affordable. He proposed freezing some auto regulations for 10 years so engineers can focus on lowering costs. [para. 13][para. 14]
10. Slawomir Krupa, CEO of French bank Societe Generale SA, said Europe must build a stronger risk-taking culture and adjust its regulatory framework to enable banks to lend and invest more in long-term industrial projects. He noted that public finances alone will not close the investment gap while much of Europe’s savings remain invested outside the region. [para. 15]
AI generated, for reference only
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