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Why a Renault-FCA merger could be good news for Nissan, Mitsubishi

TOKYO — Nissan's advanced technologies including platforms and electric powertrains could give it leverage in a merger involving Renault and Fiat Chrysler, thanks to a royalty system it has with the former, two people with knowledge of the matter said. A merged Renault-Fiat Chrysler could face an extra hurdle each time it uses technology developed by Nissan or Mitsubishi Motors, while the two Japanese automakers stand to gain a client in Fiat Chrysler (FCA), one of the people said. Both sources declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Nissan's technology, particularly in electrification and emissions reduction, could give it some sway in the $35 billion potential tie-up between Renault and FCA, even as its stake in the newly formed company would be diluted. Currently Renault SA pays less for technology developed by Nissan than the Japanese automaker pays for French technology, a third person said. This has long been a sticking point for Nissan, and an area where Nissan could seek more favorable terms. "Whenever Nissan transfers platform, powertrain or other technology to Renault, there is a margin or royalty which Renault has to pay for use of that tech," one of the people said. "In that sense, FCA, if everything went well, would become another 'client' of ours and that's good. More business for us." A Nissan spokesman declined to comment on its royalty system. The potential Renault-FCA deal has complicated the Japanese automaker's already uneasy alliance with Renault. A further deal with Fiat Chrysler looks likely at least in the near term to weaken Nissan's influence in the 20-year-old partnership. Renault owns a 43.4% stake in Nissan and is its top shareholder. Nissan holds a 15% non-voting stake in Renault and would see that diluted to 7.5% after the FCA deal, albeit with voting rights. The imbalance between the two has long rankled Nissan, which is by far the larger company. Alliance imbalance Renault had previously angled for a merger with Nissan but has been rebuffed by CEO Hiroto Saikawa. Securing benefits from the merger deal will be important for Saikawa, who is grappling with poor financial performance while he struggles to right the company after the ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn last year.

Nissan shows how EVs are breaking the niche barrier in Norway

Call it Keeping up with the Hansens. Through a combination of environmental consciousness, big-time government incentives and good old-fashioned peer pressure, Norway has become the country with the highest number of electric vehicles per capita. And Nissan couldn't be happier. EVs have about a 15-percent new-vehicle market share in Norway, Nissan says in a new four-minute video called No Longer Niche (watch it below). Between Norway's cheap electricity and incentives such as bus-lane use, free parking and free public recharging, Nissan's sold more than 15,000 of its all-electric Leaf EVs since sales started in Norway in 2011. In fact, Norway's EV incentives were scheduled to run through 2017, but the rules' 50,000-EV threshold may be reached as soon as next year. The rising (and, we suspect, somewhat frigid) EV tide has helped other vehicle makers, to a lesser extent. This past spring, The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla Motors' all-electric Model S sold almost 1,500 units in March, breaking the all-time single-model monthly sales record for the country. To put EVs' 15-percent market share in perspective, consider this: last year, Ford F-Series pickups, the biggest-selling US model, accounted for about five percent of US new vehicle sales. So, in order to visualize the EV effect in Norway, imagine three times as many Ford F-Series pickups on the road in the US as there are now. On second thought, don't. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Nissan confirms what's in the box

While there were few doubts about what could've been hiding under the giant cardboard box being transported on a flatbed truck earlier this month, Nissan has officially confirmed that it was, in fact, a Versa Note being delivered from Amazon.
As a part of the special promotion, online shoppers who bought a Versa Note using the retailing giant also received a $1,000 Amazon gift card. Scroll down to watch how the car was packaged and shipped as well as what the buyer did with all that cardboard.