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'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

Mitsubishi HQ raided by the Japanese government

Mitsubishi's fuel economy scandal continues to grow, and the Japanese government wants answers. According to Reuters, the Japanese Transport Ministry raided the company's headquarters and a factory in Nagoya today. This raid comes soon after the company revealed that a number of its SUVs were also being sold with incorrect fuel economy ratings. The Japanese government issued a stop-sale on those vehicles a few days ago. This raid also follows an internal investigation conducted by Mitsubishi to discover how this fuel economy scandal happened, and how the practices that led to it were able to continue for 25 years. The internal investigation revealed a few contributing factors that all fell under issues with the company's culture. There was significant pressure throughout the company to reach fuel economy targets and missing them wasn't readily accepted. Questioning decisions of management was also discouraged, and it seemed the different divisions of the company weren't working well together. The findings of this raid have yet to be revealed, but it will be interesting to see how they compare with those of the internal investigation. The Japanese Transport Ministry seems intent on preventing a repeat of this with another company considering that, according to Reuters, it "sent documents to other automakers to enforce compliance with rules for calculating mileage ." Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Julien Amado / Autoblog Quebec Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Fuel Efficiency investigation

Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart Concept revealed at Tokyo Auto Salon

Mitsubishi has arrived at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon with a bevy of vehicles, but none more interesting than the Vision Ralliart Concept. We have fond memories of the Ralliart name on Mitsubishi models sold years ago, which gives us a glimmer of hope that a return to the sub brand could once again give us a Mitsubishi to get excited about as enthusiasts. That initial Ralliart return is in concept form and in the shape of the new Outlander. Mitsubishi is using the Outlander PHEV as the basis of this concept, but it appears as though nothing has been done to the powertrain to make it any more potent than the standard car. However, Mitsu has attended to it elsewhere. The Ralliart Concept gets large brake rotors and six-piston brake calipers to increase stopping power. It also features suspension changes. Mitsubishi doesn’t say exactly what itÂ’s changed beyond specifying that the comfortable ride “is further refined,” though. Lastly, Mitsubishi fitted 22-inch wheels with bigger tires to enhance cornering. Appearance-wise, the Vision Ralliart Concept gets unique front and rear bumpers, wider fenders in front and rear, a new front grille and big rear diffuser. Mitsubishi says that this car “embodies Mitsubishi Motors' vision for the new Ralliart and brings together the company's engineering and passion for Monozukuri challenges (craftsmanship).” How all of the above may translate into a production Outlander Ralliart model is still to be determined, and itÂ’s not yet clear if weÂ’ll ever see such a thing in the U.S. Beyond that concept, we also get a look at an Outlander Ralliart Style and an Eclipse Cross Ralliart Style. Both of these cars are full of red, white and black stickers/accents to give them the Ralliart look weÂ’d expect. However, the packages are limited to appearance changes only. Again, Mitsubishi gives no indication as to what its end game might be with these vehicles. On the off-road side of things, there's the Outlander Wild Adventure Style based on the PHEV. This model adopts a bunch of Mitsubishi accessories that make it a better vehicle for heading into the wilderness. It has items like all-terrain tires, bumper protectors, mud guards, a roof carrier, trailer hitch and additional garnishes all around to give it a sportier/outdoorsy look. If kei cars are more your style, Mitsubishi has also revealed the K-EV Concept X Style in Tokyo. ItÂ’s meant to preview a new generation of electric kei cars in Japan.