Calendar

Renault might not be the first car manufacturer to market electric cars, as Fluence ZE and Kangoo ZE will hit the road mid 2011, but in order to give a flavour of those exciting models, a lot of pre series cars will be seen on European roads this year.

On a recent trip to India, the media repeatedly asked me why the Alliance has chosen to work with multiple partners in that market.  Partnerships and strategic alliances are not new for the auto industry, but the way in which the Alliance has chosen to work in India seems to raise constant questions.

What is the Renault Nissan-Alliance? Why has it proved to be the most enduring and successful of any partnerships within the auto industry?  Where will it be at the end of this decade? Until now we haven't really shouted about the Alliance’s successes – successes achieved when similar automotive partnerships have failed.

One of the great strengths of the Alliance is its diversity – it’s our way of doing business. Showing respect for the varied cultures we have within the companies allows us to capitalise on that diversity, which in turn makes the Alliance stronger and longer lasting.

With auto show season in full swing, the annual New York show provides a good balance between two of the major global shows in Geneva and Beijing/Shanghai. Last week I attended the first media day and overall, the mood seemed cautiously optimistic, boosted by many new product intros.

Video of Carlos Ghosn on the strategic cooperation between Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG.

Let’s clear up some confusion which arose at the Geneva Motor Show about the Nissan V-Platform. The V stands for versatile and that’s exactly what it is.

Looking back at the past 11 years, the Renault-Nissan Alliance have been through a remarkable journey.  Together, we have navigated the road of progress, successes, challenges, obstacles and opportunities.  

Thank you, Dr. Zetsche… and good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

The famous German philosopher Georg Hegel once said: “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

“...I want to talk about the financial meltdown of 2008 and 2009… about how governments intervened during this time of crisis… and about how those interventions have changed the course of the global automobile industry for years to come.  “

We have received many questions on the Alliance blog about the “new alliance of Renault-Nissan with Daimler” and whether this would be a new opportunity for Renault to enter the US market.

Should electric vehicles make an artificial noise or be allowed to run silently? Opinion is divided both within the industry and among other interested parties and it’s a subject we have debated many times.

One of the earliest areas for Renault and Nissan to explore at the start of the Alliance was how best to share powertrains, something we have become rather good at with huge savings for both companies as a result.

So what is an Alliance, or common, powertrain?

Some weeks ago I told you about the sound of EVs and the growing concern regarding quiet cars and pedestrians safety. In 2007, Nissan started real world field research in collaboration with universities and institutions to develop a new type of audio visibility for pedestrians, and particularly for those visually impaired and young children.

Spent the weekend driving the new Infiniti FX30d – the first application of an Alliance co-developed diesel engine for the Infiniti line-up in Europe.

Some 40 analysts and investors recently spent a full day in Japan getting a deep dive into the Alliance’s EV strategy.

It was their first opportunity to drive Nissan LEAF, visit the AESC battery production plant and discuss with senior Alliance management our EV business model.

Four main topics were the focal point for day. In summary: