Posted on 04/09/2018 11:47:56 PM PDT by Cronos
RENAULT unveiled the EZ-GO, a concept for a robotaxi, at the Geneva motor show, which opened on March 5th. Nissan, in conjunction with DeNA, a Japanese software firm, recently began trials of driverless taxis in Japan. The two companies are pursuing their own paths towards the future of mobility. Yet both are bound together in a close alliance, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. In 2016 they were joined by Mitsubishi. Last year the trio sold 10.6m cars between them, one in every nine worldwide.
It is a unique carmaking liaison, neither a full merger nor as loose as the many tie-ups forged to spread the cost of developing pricey pieces of technology. Each firm remains autonomous but shares a growing number of links in the supply chain with the other two. It all looks hugely successful. In 2017 Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi overtook Volkswagen (VW) as the world’s biggest car company (if lorries are included, the German firm is narrowly ahead).
....Renault’s strength in Europe complements Nissan’s in China and America. Nissan brings a premium brand, Infiniti. Mitsubishi offers expertise in plug-in hybrids. By 2016 the alliance claimed annual savings of €5bn ($6.2bn), despite making just 2m cars on two common “platforms”, the basic underpinnings of a vehicle. In September a new five-year plan promised deeper integration. By 2022, 9m vehicles will be built using four platforms. Savings are promised to double. In order to “turbocharge” performance and growth, at the start of the month Mr Ghosn announced more convergence of purchasing, engineering and manufacturing. On March 14th new managers were named.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
Being the biggest in terms of sales in the mass-market area is not a prize. GM is leading in profitability
Also, it is no longer correct to think of these giants as purely national "heroes" - yes, GM is mainly American, R-N-M is mainly French and Japanese and VW mainly German, but their components and suppliers are so global and sometimes shared.
I wonder how they will manage the change to electric
“RENAULT unveiled the EZ-GO, a concept for a robotaxi,”
Uh oh.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eWgrvNHjKkY
“You’re in a Johnny Cab!”
I don’t own any of them, never have.
Yet to be seen how electrics pan out. Nissan has been in the game for a while, with hybrids at first licensed from Toyota and now their own, as well as the Leaf being an all-electric. Back in the 1990s Nissan was almost going under, before having an alliance with Renault. I invested in the stock when it was cheap, a great investment since. They're doing really well now. I wouldn't buy an all-electric myself, but the hybrids are great. My youngest daughter has a 2007 Altima Hybrid and it's still going strong more than ten years later, still drives like new, she's taken it across the country multiple times.
I’ve been to two major car shows in the past two years. At both shows Mitsubishi had the least trafficked displays of all manufacturers.
Seems they're more into commercial vehicles like vans and trucks than personal sedans. They make a lot of large trucks. I see very few Mitsubishi personal cars on the road.
They are taller and skinnier with weird sagging side windows that I believe are that way to allow scanning of ID cards.
They look real top heavy and easy to tip. And they look soooo Euroweenie.
Whatever happened to REAL vans?
Who's gonna get laid in this monstrosity?
Me neither...
Ford and Jeep are the only makes
that have graced my garage. And
the two Jeeps I own were before
the French took over. They are
complimented by the Ford F150 4x4
Platinum, and the Mustang GT.
Also building a bit of pre-
war history...a 1940 Plymouth
pickup.
I don’t own a GM. Actually right now I don’t own a car at all.
Mitsubishi sells more sedans in Europe and Asia
These are good designs for transportation of products - spacious,fuel efficient and sturdy.
Siberian tried and true.
Easy enough to do when you transfer the debt to the taxpayers, but retain the assets.
I can see that you don't know much about cars. No Frogs involved. First the Krauts, then the Wops.
I know someone who had one of those creepy European style vans. He hated it so much he traded it in for a new one.
I bought a 1992 Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickup new, bottom of the line.
It was $7995.
It did not come with a radio. Heck, it did not even come with an antenna.
I delivered pizza in it and drove all over America to go camping and exploring. Racked up a lot of miles.
Friends called it a birth control car, but I actually got it on several times in it, which is amazing considering the internal dimensions of the cab.
In ten years, it never failed me. It was a very simple mechanism.
Looks like fun.
Renault (1979–1987)
The French company Renault buys into AMC in 1979.
I know a lot about cars....
I drive one every day. It is a fantastic vehicle fitted for touring but is welcome on the Walmart parking lot. It is a Mercedes turbo diesel and ete 23 mpf. Mine currently has 250k miles and is going strong.
They are not top heavy and extremely aerodynamic. Believe it or don’t but it corners wonderfully.
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