Context: Avanci’s Wi-Fi 6 Vehicles program—which offers automakers a pool license to wireless standard-essential patents (SEPs)—launched earlier this year (March 4, 2026 ip fray article). To date, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors (GM), Ford, and Volvo Cars have been announced as licensees (October 1, 2026 ip fray article).
What’s new & direct impact: The logo of Renault Group has been added to the “Licensees” section of the Avanci Wi-Fi 6 Vehicles program webpage, indicating that the French company has signed up to a pool license.
Wider ramifications: Renault has been a licensee of Avanci’s 4G Vehicle program for several years, and of 5G Vehicle since at least August 2024. The French carmaker has had some significant run-ins with SEP holders. Earlier this year, a German court issued an injunction against Renault in an Ethernet SEP spat with Broadcom, threatening the removal of its popular Clio and MĂ©gane models from the country (February 6, 2026 ip fray article). It’s all but confirmed that Renault eventually settled (May 13, 2026 ip fray article). In a separate German case, Renault’s Dacia brand apparently settled pending litigation over battery-related patents with licensing firm Tulip Innovation (June 10, 2026 ip fray article).
When Avanci unveiled Ford and GM as the latest licensees to its Wi-Fi platform last month, it teased that a further three as-yet-unnamed automakers had taken licenses (September 16, 2026 ip fray article). One of these was subsequently confirmed to be Volvo Cars.
As for the last of these three licensees to be disclosed, it could well be another automaker that, like Volvo and Renault, has a longstanding existing relationship with Avanci through the 4G and 5G cellular programs. Another possibility is Hyundai, which appears to have settled a U.S. complaint brought by Avanci licensor Malikie innovations over Wi-Fi SEPs (September 17, 2026 ip fray article).