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Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi announce 35 new EVs by 2030

Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are going all-in on EVs. The trio announced plans to release 35 new electric models globally by 2030, ranging from Japan-only kei cars to commercial vehicles, and they sketched out plans to develop next-generation solid-state batteries. The three carmakers will leverage the benefits of economies of scale to keep development and production costs in check. Many of the Alliance's models already ride on a common platform; the Nissan Sentra shares its bones with the third-generation Renault Scenic. Looking ahead, the plan is to build 80% of the cars in the group's global portfolio on common architectures. Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are massive companies with a wide lineup of models, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, the strategy focuses on five basic modular platforms. CMF-AEV will be for so-called affordable electric cars. KEI-EV will be primarily for kei cars, LCV will underpin commercial vehicles, and CMF-EV was designed to underpin mainstream models including the Ariya. Finally, the CMF-BEV platform will underpin about 250,000 electric cars annually starting in 2024. These include the production version of the retro-styled 5 Prototype introduced in January 2021, at least one car assigned to the Alpine brand, and a replacement for the Micra (previewed above) that will be engineered and built by Renault. Most of these cars will be equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack; that's likely going to remain the best way to power an electric car in the coming years. However, Nissan has been tasked with developing solid-state battery technology that promises to greatly reduce charging times. A solid state battery is tentatively scheduled to enter production by the middle of 2028, though it's too early to tell which model(s) will inaugurate it. Digital services will play a significant role in the Alliance's future lineup as well. By 2026, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi plan to connect 25 million cars to their cloud and over 10 million vehicles fitted with "autonomous driving systems" (a vague term that wasn't defined). All told, these investments will cost the group at least ˆ23 billion (around $26 billion at the current conversion rate) in the next five years. What does this mean for America?

Judge denies bail for men accused of sneaking Carlos Ghosn out of Japan

BOSTON — Two American men wanted by Japan on charges that they helped sneak former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of the country in a box have again been denied release from a U.S. jail. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Friday rejected a bid to free Michael Taylor, a 59-year-old U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his 27-year-old son, Peter Taylor, on bail while they fight their extradition to Japan. Talwani said a magistrate judge properly found the two men to be a risk of flight. “While the Taylors may well seek to remain in the United States to fight extradition through available legal channels, they have also shown a blatant disregard for such safeguards in the context of the Japanese legal system and have not established sufficiently that if they find their extradition fight difficult, they will not flaunt the rules of release on bail and flee the country,” Talwani wrote. An attorney for the Taylors declined to comment Saturday. Their lawyers have said the men have no plans to flee and argue their health is at risk behind bars because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Taylors have been locked up in a Massachusetts jail since their arrest in May. Authorities say the Taylors helped smuggle Ghosn out of the Japan on a private jet while he was on bail and awaiting trial on financial misconduct allegations. With former the Nissan boss hidden in a large box, the flight went first to Turkey, then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn said he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subjected to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from meeting his wife under his bail conditions. Ghosn has denied allegations that he underreported his future income and committed a breach of trust by diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. The Taylors have not denied helping Ghosn flee, but argue they can't be extradited. Among other things, they say that “bail jumping” is not a crime in Japan and, therefore, helping someone evade their bail conditions isnÂ’t a crime either. In a court filing on Friday, federal prosecutors urged Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell to rule that the men can be legally extradited. The U.S. Secretary of State will make the final decision on whether they will be handed over to Japan.

'Nothing is blocking' Nissan alliance talks, says Renault chairman

TOKYO — Nothing is blocking discussions between Nissan and Renault over the future of their alliance and the two companies will have "important talks" on Tuesday and Wednesday, the French automaker's chairman said in Tokyo. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Renault SA chairman Jean-Dominique Senard touted the Franco-Japanese alliance, which has been discussing ways to revamp the relationship. The companies had initially set Tuesday as a deadline to hammer out a deal. However, the discussions have taken longer than originally expected due to Nissan's concerns about how its intellectual property rights can be protected as Renault forges new ties with China's Geely, sources have told Reuters. Renault last week unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its businesses, saying it would set up a joint venture with Geely for gasoline engines and hybrid technology and spin off its electric vehicles unit next year. It wants Nissan to invest in the new electric unit. The companies are also renegotiating their equity ties, which currently see Renault owning a controlling 43% of Nissan and the Japanese company holding only a 15% non-voting stake in Renault. "Nothing is blocking" the discussions, he told reporters after the event, declining to say when the alliance members would reach a deal and adding "you will be informed on time." "As the chairman of this alliance, I've never lived such a warm atmosphere within the alliance and this bodes well for the future."   Green Mitsubishi Nissan Renault