Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi announce common roadmap

Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co, and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the members of one of the world’s leading automotive alliances, this week announced common projects and actions to accelerate and to shape their shared future towards 2030, focusing on the mobility value chain.

 

A year and a half after announcing its new cooperation business model to support member-company competitiveness and profitability, the Alliance is now based on solid foundations, benefits from an efficient operational governance organisation and from intensified as well as flexible cooperation, said a statement.

 

Continuing the Leader-Follower scheme defined in May 2020, select technology is developed by one leading team with the support of the followers, thereby allowing each member of the Alliance to access all the key technologies, it said. 

 

The Alliance has defined a common 2030 roadmap on pure-EV and Intelligent & Connected mobility, sharing investments for the benefits of its three-member companies and their customers.

 

“Among the world's automotive leaders, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is a proven, unique model. For 22 years, we have been building on our respective cultures and strengths for our common benefit,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Alliance. “Today the Alliance is accelerating to lead the mobility revolution and deliver more value to customers, our people, our shareholders and all our stakeholders. 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. Together, we are making the difference for a new and global sustainable future; the Alliance becoming carbon neutral by 2050.”

 

Moving together 

The Alliance members have developed a “smart differentiation” methodology that defines the desired level of commonality for each vehicle, integrating several parameters of possible pooling, such as platforms, production plants, powertrains or vehicle segment. This is supplemented and enhanced by a stricter approach to design and upper-body differentiation. For example, the common platform for the C and D segment will carry five models from three brands of the alliance (Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander, Renault Austral and an upcoming seven-seater SUV).

 

Strengthening this process, the Alliance members will enhance usage of common platforms in the coming years from 60% today to more than 80% of its combined 90 models in 2026. This will allow each company to deepen their focus on their customers’ needs, their best models and core markets, while also extending innovations across the Alliance, at a lower cost, it said.

 

As part of this, Mitsubishi Motors will reinforce its presence in Europe with two new models, among them the New ASX based on Renault best-sellers. 

 

Five common EV platforms

Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have pioneered the EV market, with more than €10 billion already invested in the field of electrification. In the main markets (Europe, Japan, the US, China) 15 Alliance plants already produce parts, motors, batteries for 10 EV models on the streets, with more than 1 million EV cars sold so far and 30 billion e-kilometers driven.

 

Building on this unique expertise, the Alliance is accelerating with a total €23 billion more investment in the next five years on electrification, leading to 35 new EV models by 2030. 90% of these models will be based on five common EV platforms, covering most markets, in all major regions:

• CMF-AEV, the most affordable platform in the world, is the base for the new Dacia Spring.

• KEI-EV (mini vehicle) platform family for ultra-compact EVs. 

• LCV-EV Family platform family for professional customers, as the base for the Renault Kangoo and Nissan Town Star. 

• CMF-EV, the global, flexible, EV platform. It will be on the roads in a few weeks as the base for the Nissan Ariya EV crossover and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. 

• CMF-BEV, the most competitive compact electric platform in the world, to be launched in 2024. It provides up to 400 km range; its aerodynamics performances are outstanding, helping reduce cost by 33% and power consumption by more than 10% compared to the current Renault ZOE. It will be the base for 250,000 vehicles a year under the Renault, Alpine and Nissan brands.  Among the vehicles are the Renault R5 and the new compact EV that will replace the Nissan Micra. 

 

Common battery strategy, breakthrough battery innovations and a planned 220 GWh production capacity will bring a highly competitive and attractive offer to all customers, it said.  

 

The Alliance is working with common partners to achieve real scale and affordability, enabling to reduce battery costs by 50% in 2026 and 65% by 2028. - TradeArabia News Service