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Renault will split EV from combustion unit, seeks partnerships

PARIS — Renault has received several partnership proposals for the combustion engine unit it plans to create alongside one dedicated to electric vehicles and software, two sources familiar with the matter said. Renault plans to separate its electric and conventional car businesses, creating two entities to manage the shift towards fossil-free vehicles. "The group has already received partnership demands" for its internal combustion engine unit, one of the sources said. By bringing in partners on the combustion engine side Renault aims to free up funds to invest in electric vehicles, a technology in which it was a pioneer with Nissan and Mitsubishi, but in which it is now eclipsed by pure players such as Tesla. Renault intends to retain majority ownership of its electric division, which will employ about 10,000 people and which could be bourse-listed via an IPO in the second half of 2023. However, it will only remain a reference shareholder, not a controlling shareholder, of the combustion engine unit, which will have similar staff levels, said two other sources familiar with the plans. One of the sources said Renault may hang on to a 40% stake. Renault declined to comment. The carmaker at a capital market day this autumn will set out its plans for its electric arm based in France and the combustion unit headquartered abroad. That entity will include factories producing engines and gear boxes for gasoline and hybrid cars in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Romania and Latin America. Among potential partners for its combustion engine business, CEO Luca de Meo in April mentioned Nissan, other automotive groups and long-term investors. De Meo is set to travel to Japan next month to discuss potential Japanese participation in its electric and combustion engine projects. Renault is undergoing a major restructuring aimed at restoring its finances and recently signed partnerships beyond its historical alliances with Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mercedes, such as with China's Geely Automobile Holdings. This month it sold 34% of its South Korean unit to Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and is a shareholder in Mercedes. With Geely, Renault plans to develop hybrid vehicles which will be assembled in its plant in Busan, South Korea. Earnings/Financials Green Mitsubishi Nissan Renault

Nissan reveals NP300 Navara pickup, is it the next Frontier? [w/videos] [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Statement from Nissan added, below.
After plenty of teasing, Nissan has finally revealed the NP300 Navara pickup, previewing America's next Frontier. Now, before we dive into all the info on this new midsize pickup, it's important to note that we don't quite have the official details on the American-spec truck, so there's quite a bit of information here that might not carry through to the North American market.
Depending on the market, the Navara will offer either a four-cylinder diesel or a four-cylinder gas engine, both of which displace 2.5 liters. Nissan claims both engines have been improved, with the oil-burner producing 188 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. There aren't specific figures on the gas engine, although we should expect that it will see a nice bump from the current Frontier's four-cylinder, which offers up 152 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. It's not clear if a V6 will be available in the US, as there's no mention of it in the Navara's literature.

NHTSA probing whether to call Nissan to the carpet over Versa unintended acceleration

The Nissan Versa and Versa Note may have a carpeting problem that could make the little cars risky to drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching a preliminary evaluation into the 2012-2014 model year versions of the Versa, Versa Sedan and Versa Note, affecting an estimated 360,000 vehicle. In these vehicles, it's possible that the driver's foot could be caught where the carpet meets a trim panel near the accelerator. The regulator has four reported instances of the issue, but it's still collecting data from Nissan about any further cases.
According to the complaints, the tunnel carpet cover trim panel can possibly snag the drivers' right shoe where it meets the carpet, and can either keep their foot on the accelerator or prevent moving it to the brake pedal. In one case, the problem was bad enough that the driver had to free his foot using his hand, while driving. In two of the four reported cases, the vehicles were rental cars.
This is actually the second ongoing preliminary evaluation for some of these models. In late May, NHTSA started looking into the 2013-2014 Versa and 2014 Versa Note for long brake pedal travel.