Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to triple EV investment

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is reportedly about to announce a new 20 billion euro (NZ$34 billion) plan to develop EVs through to 2030, tripling its previous investment.

That’s according to Reuters, which cited two people with “knowledge of the plan”. We should hear official word before the end of the week.

By next decade, the alliance is expected to have more than 30 new EVs on offer, with 90 per cent of those sharing five common platforms.

More than 30 new EVs are coming from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, including the awesome reborn Renault 5.

The 'Alliance to 2030' plan will show 'intensified cooperation' among the automakers, a 'shared vision on electrification and connected mobility,' one source said.

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Those platforms include the CMF-EV architecture currently underpinning the Renault Megane E-Tech and Nissan Ariya EVs, as well as one that supports more affordable, “no-frills” models. The other two are for kei cars and light commercial vehicles.

Meet Nissan’s latest concept EVs, including a ute, a sports car, an SUV and what is probably the next Leaf.

Finally, by mid-decade, the Alliance will have a fifth platform specifically for Renault-designed EVs.

The French brand has already announced an electric rebirth of the 5 hatchback will happen in the next few years. Not much is known about it but Renault’s boss, Luca de Meo, said at the debut of the prototype that it’ll be sold “at a price that many, many people will be able to afford.”

To bring the cost of EVs down to parity with petrol-powered vehicles, the Alliance will share key parts like batteries and motors, while also jointly investing in increasing production capacity in France, Britain, China and Japan to a total of 220 gigawatt-hours of battery capacity by 2030.

The trio will also share solid-state battery technology, currently being developed by Nissan.

Reuters said that it wasn’t immediately clear if the alliance will discuss hybrids as part of the 2030 plan.

Back in November, Nissan committed to spending around NZ$25.8 billion over five years on vehicle electrification, including hybrids. It said it wants to launch 23 electrified vehicles by 2030, including 15 EVs. Half of Nissan’s fleet will be electrified by 2030, including both EVs and hybrids.

Hopefully, one of those will be the rumoured Silvia EV…

Meanwhile, Renault has said it will be 100 per cent electric in Europe by 2030, a target that doesn’t apply to other markets and the group’s other brands, like Dacia.

Reuters didn’t mention anything about Mitsubishi, so perhaps we’ll hear more about that when the 2030 plan is officially revealed.