Established automakers are facing one of the most dynamic and challenging times in recent memory and success will demand bold moves. Xavier Mosquet, a senior partner and managing director in the Detroit office of The Boston Consulting Group and coleader of the firm’s Automotive practice, recently sat down with Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, to discuss a range of industry-related topics, including the prospects for electric cars, industry consolidation, how Renault and Nissan are positioned in China and India, and the leadership challenges of pulling companies through hard times.

Dec. 20 –The Mayor of Boulogne-Billancourt Pierre-Christophe Baguet and Carlos Tavares, Chief Operating Officer of Renault, today opened the Renault ZE (Zero Emission) Centre in Boulogne-Billancourt, the first such center to be opened in Europe by a vehicle manufacturer. The center aims to share the ZE experience with all visitors by demonstrating Renault’s EV offering and its ambitions in electric mobility.

All multinational corporations have had their share of crises in the past three years -- particularly those with a substantial footprint in Asia.

In a keynote address to the Japan Society in New York last week, The Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn described what he’s learned in wake of the global liquidity crunch that began with the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008; the March 11 earthquake and tsunami; Thai floods; the relentless strength of Japan’s currency; and Euro zone financial turmoil.

Carlos Ghosn and Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche confirmed Wednesday that their 18-month old partnership is on track, including plans to build the next-generation Daimler Smart and Renault Twingo on the same platform. The two CEOs, speaking at a joint press conference at the Frankfurt Motor Show, also said they would expand their cooperation with Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti to build a future compact car on a platform developed by Mercedes-Benz, among other plans.

Listen to the full audio recording of the conference.

For the full transcript, click here

In preparation for the 2011 TEDGlobal conference- as conference sponsors- Alliance activities gather pace this weekend. We have come to Edinburgh to join what is one of the most prestigious conferences for thought-leaders and creative thinking.

The automotive group’s Mountain View facility will focus on vehicle IT, advanced engineering research, and technology recruitment.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – The Renault-Nissan Alliance will open a research office later this month in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Directly across from the Google campus and minutes from leading hardware and software companies, the offices in Mountain View will allow one of the world’s largest automotive groups to capitalize on the region’s world-class engineering talent and stay ahead of trends that are reshaping the way people interact with their cars.

The office will build staff organically to focus on specific projects and business developments as they emerge. Small, highly efficient teams will initially work on vehicle IT development, advanced engineering research and technology recruitment.

Yokohama, Japan - April 26, 2011 - We at Nissan express our deepest sympathy to those individuals and families still suffering from the disaster.

Please see below for the latest update regarding our production status in Japan:

Production in April

- Production volume in April is expected to be slightly above 40% of the actual production volume in April last year.

Yokohama, Japan - April 8, 2011 - We at Nissan express our deepest sympathy to those individuals and families still suffering from the disaster.

Nissan is ready to resume normal operations based on delivery of parts from our suppliers. All plant will resume operation as follows:

Operation schedule

Vehicle Production Plants

    - Oppama Plant: resume operations from April 11
    - Tochigi Plant: resume operations from April 18
    - Kyushu Plant: resume operations from April 13
    - Nissan Shatai: resume operations from April 11
    - Nissan Shatai Kyushu: resume operations from April 13

We at Nissan express our deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquake, and extend our deepest sympathy to those individuals and families still suffering from the disaster. Nissan is committed to making all efforts to support the restoration of the areas impacted by the earthquake, with sincere hopes that relief and recovery progresses as quickly as possible. The following is an update to previous reports regarding the impact of the recent earthquake on Nissan and the facilities of our affiliated companies.

We at Nissan express our deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquake, and extend our deepest sympathy to those individuals and families still suffering from the disaster.

Nissan is committed to making all efforts to support the restoration of the areas impacted by the earthquake, with sincere hopes that relief and recovery progresses as quickly as possible.