Dubai: It’s back to full action for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as it confirms plans to build over one million EVs (electric vehicles) a year in five years and backed by a staggering 23 billion euro outlay. These funds and sharper focus, the alliance hopes, will make up for time lost in recent years over the Carlos Ghosn issue and get all three carmakers pull as one.
The EV push is the most eye-catching detail from an event held Thursday (January 27) that set out the roadmap the alliance will follow. The promise is that the entry-level models will try and match the pricing offered by competing internal combustion (IC) models. More than 30 EV models will hit the roads all over the world as part of these ambitions.
To place the new target of over one million EVs a year in context, between 2009 to now the three carmakers had brought out just over one million EVs.
The three thus join Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford that have spelt out ambitious centred around electric vehicles and take on the disruptive influence of Tesla on everything that is happening in this vehicle category.
What was left unsaid is whether the three plan any changes to their quite complex cross-holding shareholding structures. “The point of shareholding (between the three companies) is not on the table today,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Alliance. “The three member-companies have defined a common roadmap towards 2030, sharing investments in future electrification and connectivity projects.
“These are massive investments that none of the three companies could make alone. We are clearly moving in a strong direction. Life is long - We should never get impatient on this type of subject (shareholding). The links we have today are clearly unbreakable."
“We remain faithful to the original spirit of the Alliance and the last 12 months” have shown how those results can be achieved going forward.
35
The number of new EV models Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi will have in 2030 spread over five common EV platformsA 22-year alliance - and counting
After the unceremonious exit of the former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, there was a phase when many speculated that Renault or Nissan would want to go their own way. As Nissan did in the recent past, its other partners – Renault and Mitsubishi – are ready to move on.
The focus is very much on becoming a competitively priced manufacturer, with the three confirming there will be more focus on shared build platforms and thus keep costs down. “We have lowered the entry ticket of our cars by 40 per cent,” said Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault.
“We are not a second division when we play together. Speaking for Renault, there are hidden gems in our company. (After the) restructuring the business, we are looking at the right topics with the right competencies and right costs.”
This will improve their cars' over-the-air performance throughout the life cycle. "This means value for customers with the integration of their car into their digital ecosystem to offering a personalized experience, new enhanced services, and reduced maintenance costs," the Alliance said.
