Nissan says that electrification will provide the spark for a renewed collaboration with alliance partner Renault, with both companies looking to standardise and share electric vehicle (EV) components, including platforms, in a bid to cut costs.
Electrification will serve as the partnership’s new lynchpin, according to Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta. Speaking to Reuters, he said that while the Japanese automaker has been sharing common platforms, powertrains and components with Renault and Mitsubishi, those efforts have “reached the maximum we should do.”
“That’s why we are shifting the gear of further synergies using electrification as the main pillar,” he told the news agency. He explained that the focus will be on sharing batteries, electric powertrains and electronic architecture, with the adoption of a uniform standard across the alliance contributing significantly to economies of scale, something that was necessary to push the technology along in quicker fashion.
The development of batteries, which is one of the costliest components in EVs, has been one of the weaker points of the long-standing alliance, with both Nissan and Renault sourcing batteries separately. This is set to change, with both companies targeting to utilise the same battery technology.
“We have agreed on the common specifications for the battery, so that will be common (to all alliance members),” he said, stating that the move will definitely improve the performance of each company. He added that there would be no supply challenge because of Nissan’s global sourcing of components, with the carmaker having the ability to do battery sourcing from China, Japan, Europe and the US.
Gupta also said that while keeping the distinctiveness of each brand was important in the alliance, the automakers would share components for improved synergy. “We share to eliminate the duplication of resources,” he explained. For example, the company will share the platform of its fully-electric Ariya SUV with Renault.
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