Auto Giants Combine Forces to Produce Not-So Expensive Electric Cars
Nissan Motor Co, Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp agreed to combine their electric vehicle platforms in a move to cut prices down to levels comparable to conventional gasoline cars.
The auto giants are emboldened to combine the e-car platforms as two auto giants Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp announced their goal to mass-produce battery electric vehicles amid strict global regulations on emissions.
Amid the commitments of Franco-Japanese alliance partners Renault and Nissan on zero-emission transportation, both auto companies have struggled to cut costs as they developed their electric cars separately.
Nissan Leaf will share will share key components with Renault and Mitsubishi
Media reports say Renault and Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors Corp, which recently came under Nissan’s control, will use the same e-car platform as Nissan’s remodeled Leaf electric car that is set to go on sale around 2018.
The three companies will share key components such as the inverter, motor, and battery. This move aims to cut the Leaf’s price by about a fifth.
The Leaf is the world’s top-selling highway-capable plug-in electric car. More than 230,000 Leafs have been sold worldwide through July 2016.
Renault-Nissan Alliance
Franco-Japanese alliance partners Renault and Nissan have been strategic partners since 1999. Taken together, the Renault-Nissan Alliance sells more than one in 10 cars worldwide. The Alliance controls nine major brands including Renault, Nissan, Infiniti, Renault Samsung Motors, Datsun, Dacia, Lada, Venucia, and Mitsubishi.
In 2013, the car group sold 8.3 million cars worldwide which was behind Toyota, General Motors, and Volkswagen for total volume. In 2014, the Renault-Nissan alliance passed 8.5 million vehicles sold globally.
The Alliance is the world’s leading plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer. Its global sales reached more than 350,000 all-electric vehicles by the end of August 2016.
Renault is based in Paris, France, while Nissan is based in Yokohama, Japan.
