2013 Nissan Juke Sl on 2040-cars

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Renault invests in French electric car plant upgrade

PARIS — Renault will invest more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) to increase electric vehicle production capacity in France and add new models, the carmaker said on Thursday. The Zoe production line in Flins, west of Paris, will double its maximum output with the battery-powered subcompact's next upgrade, the company said in a statement, and its northern Douai factory will tool up to build electric cars on a new architecture shared with Japanese affiliate Nissan. "The acceleration of our investments in France for electric vehicles will increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of our French industrial sites," said Renault Chairman and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn, who also chairs Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors and heads the carmakers' three-way alliance. The Cleon plant will triple its electric motor production capacity, while Maubeuge in eastern France receives tooling investment for the next Kangoo van including its electric version, Renault said. Reporting by Laurence Frost. Related Video: Image Credit: REUTERS/Jacky Naegele Green Plants/Manufacturing Nissan Renault Electric

Nissan Skyline Nismo gets a more powerful Z engine

Recent rumors claim the Nissan Skyline will morph into an electric crossover in the coming years. Regardless of whether or not they're true, the company isn't done with the current, gasoline-powered Skyline yet and it launched a limited-edition, Nismo-branded model in Japan. If you're experiencing deja vu, it's likely because the Nissan Skyline is sold as the Infiniti Q50 in the United States. We even get a range-topping, performance-oriented trim level, the 400-horsepower Red Sport 400. The Skyline Nismo goes further, though, by adopting an evolution of the twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 that powers the Red Sport 400 and the Z coupe. It's rated at 414 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque. For context, the Q50 and Z pack 400-horsepower and just 350 pound-feet of torque. The Nismo's engine spins just the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission, whereas America's Red Sport 400 is available with all-wheel drive. Nissan didn't settle for adding a few horses to the cavalry, slapping a couple of "Nismo" emblems to the body, and calling it a job well done. Its engineers redesigned the Skyline's suspension system, installed fade-resistant brake pads and recalibrated the various vehicle control systems, including the ABS, to deliver a sportier driving experience on and off the track. The brand even went as far as securing the windshield and the rear window with a type of adhesive normally reserved for the GT-R Nismo to improve rigidity without adding weight.  Visual updates are part of the Nismo package as well, including 19-inch Enkei wheels wrapped by tires that are wider than the ones worn by the regular-production model, an old-school "GT" emblem on each fender, and a body kit that includes a front splitter and side skirts. These updates aren't just for show: Nissan notes the redesigned grille opening helps channel additional cooling air to the radiator and the oil cooler. The Nismo treatment also permeates the cabin. The front passengers sit on Recaro sport seats with red inserts, while the driver faces a steering wheel with a red 12-o'clock mark as well as a new-look tachometer with a red ring and a small "Nismo" logo below the needle. Enthusiasts who want an even rarer version of the current-generation Skyline can try their luck at scoring the Nismo Limited.

'Zero' chance of Renault taking over Nissan, Mitsubishi, says Ghosn

TOKYO — Renault SA absorbing Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp is not an option as the carmakers look to strengthen their partnership while retaining their autonomy, alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn said on Friday. "Anybody who will ask Nissan and Mitsubishi to become wholly owned subsidiaries of Renault has zero chance of getting a result," Ghosn told shareholders of Mitsubishi Motors at a meeting. He also serves as chief executive of France's Renault. The alliance was the world's top-selling passenger vehicle maker in 2017, but as the global auto industry consolidates, it is looking to strengthen its position before the 64-year-old Ghosn, its main architect, retires in the coming years after overseeing the partnership for nearly 20 years. We reported in March that the carmakers were discussing a deeper tie-up, which could see the French government, a major shareholder in Renault, give up influence at Renault and the French carmaker relinquish control over Nissan. The three automakers have a unique partnership designed to leverage their combined scale to save on costs including R&D, parts procurement and production to better compete with rivals Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp. They are also interlinked by their shareholding structure. Renault holds 43.4 percent of shares in Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999. Mitsubishi Motors joined the alliance in 2016 after Nissan took a 34 percent controlling stake in the smaller automaker. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa has said the alliance is not discussing a "full merger." Ghosn said that while the focus of the alliance was to sell more cars and increase profitability by reducing unnecessary duplication of processes, he wanted each of the three automakers to maintain their independence, which differentiated the group from Toyota and Volkswagen. "We need to work together ... to find a system by which what we have today, which is working very well, can continue in the future no matter who is leading the alliance," he said. "We need to prove that this is sustainable five years down the road, 10 years down the road, 15 years down the road." In a Figaro interview published last week, Ghosn was upbeat about the prospect of securing a new deal for the alliance despite its extreme political sensitivity in France and Japan, saying a plan would need to be announced "well before" the end of his four-year term at the helm of Renault in 2022.