Renault Trucks UK & Ireland has promoted MD Carlos Oliveira Rodrigues to the role of senior vice president of Renault Trucks Europe .
In his new role, effective from 1 February 2026, Rodrigues will lead the European division, including the UK & Ireland markets. He succeeds Christophe Deshayes.
Rodrigues is also tasked with overseeing the appointment of a new MD for the UK & Ireland market. In the interim, James Charnock, commercial director and Derek Leech, service market and retail development director, will serve as acting managing directors.
Charnock will manage Renault Trucks UK & Ireland’s importer business, while Leech will oversee the wholly owned truck centre businesses, including Renault Truck Commercials East, Renault Truck Commercials West, Renault Trucks Scotland and Vertellus by Renault Truck Commercials.
Announcing Rodrigues’ appointment Renault Trucks said that, over the past seven years, Rodrigues and his team have “transformed Renault Trucks UK & Ireland into one of Europe’s most advanced and strategically important markets”.
The manufacturer added that Rodrigues’ promotion “reflects an exceptional record in driving sales growth, operational excellence, and innovation across both MHD and LCV operations, leaving a legacy felt across the business and with many initiatives now being adopted in other markets worldwide”.
Rodrigues has also built a reputation as a champion of zero-emission transport. Renault Trucks said: “Carlos has shown, alongside the team, that large-scale, emission-free operations can succeed commercially while personally leading the company’s commitment to net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
“During his tenure, Carlos and the team have grown aftersales operations, successfully launched Vertellus with the dealer network, and invested in future talent through the UK Technical Training Academy and record apprenticeship intakes.”
Rodrigues said: “After seven remarkable years as managing director of Renault Trucks UK and Ireland, I am excited to take on my new position while reflecting on the incredible journey I’ve shared with our valued customers and the exceptional people I’ve had the privilege to meet along the way.
“The experience of working in the mature and discerning UK and Ireland markets will be invaluable as I step into my new role. I want to thank our network of partners for their trust and support, and James Charnock and Derek Leech for stepping up to lead the business during the transition.
“The dedication, expertise, and commitment of our colleagues across the UK and Ireland give me full confidence that our markets will continue to perform at the forefront of the Europe division. It has been an honour to work alongside such a talented team, and I look forward to supporting them in this next chapter.”
Last month Rodrigues highlighted the poor uptake of eHGVs in the UK, arguing that the economics of running an electric truck in Britain are “simply not competitive”, leaving the market stuck at around 1% BEV uptake in 2025, the equivalent of roughly 500 vehicles.
He pointed to high energy costs in the UK that add around £90,000 to the lifetime running cost of a battery-electric HGV compared with mainland Europe and contrasted the UK’s performance with several European markets that have achieved far higher BEV penetration for heavy trucks, with 3% in Belgium, more than 7% across Scandinavia, 9% in the Netherlands and 16.5% in Switzerland.
