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Nissan wants French State out of its alliance with Renault

While it's called the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the French side actually throws around a lot of weight in the relationship, and the government there is the largest shareholder. Meanwhile, the Japanese company generates about two-thirds of the sales. As leader of both automakers, Carlos Ghosn is reportedly now working to put more control into the Nissan side, according to insiders speaking to Reuters. The French State is expected to fight hard against losing sway. The government in France prompted Ghosn's distrust after buying up 19.7 percent of Renault's stock, from a previous 15 percent. Officials snubbed the CEO by giving him just a few hours notice, according to Reuters. Now, the boss is looking for ways to mitigate state control, but to make this plan happen Ghosn needs formal approval from the Renault board. If successful, the proposed plan would overhaul the close partnership between the automakers. Whereas the French side currently has the final say in decisions, this move would grant both of them equal power. In addition, Nissan would become the largest owner of Renault, but the French wouldn't have the same control over its Japanese ally. The French government isn't ready to just hand over power to Ghosn, though, because it reportedly wants to protect jobs in the country. The Alliance "must not be destabilized by governance changes or adjustments that could also lead to conflicts of interest," Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said to Reuters. Clearly, this fight is just beginning. Related Video:

Renault's new Talisman smacks of Maxima [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Well, despite taking up virtually the same amount of space on the road, Nissan spokesperson Josh Clifton confirmed to Autoblog that there's "no linkage on the two vehicles," and that "they weren't developed in tandem." The story has been edited to reflect this information. While Renault and Nissan maintain a strong alliance, the amount of sharing between the two brands is generally pretty subtle. The two automakers haven't made a habit of rebadging the other's products, although we'd surely support rebadging the Renault Clio or Megane as the new Versa or Sentra, especially if the RenaultSport versions were rebadged as Nismo models. That's not likely to change with the new Renault Talisman The big four-door sedan is the latest vehicle to ride on Renault-Nissan's Common Module Family, which also underpins the current Espace MPV. While it may wear Renault's diamond logo and ride on the Espace's platform, the new Talisman sedan takes up almost exactly the same amount of space on the road as the new Nissan Maxima. There's less than two inches separating the two sedans' overall length and wheelbase, while differences in width and height are negligible. The similarities end with the size, though. While the Maxima is only offered with a 3.5-liter V6 and continuously variable transmission, the Talisman will be available with a range of four-cylinder engines. There will be three diesels, available in 110-horsepower, 130-hp, and 160-hp varieties, along with a pair of gas engines, delivering 150 and 200 hp, respectively. The diesels can only be mated to six-speed transmissions (manuals are available for the 110 and 130-hp models), while the petrol mills are limited to seven-speed dual-clutch units. The Renault will also offer four-wheel steering, in the form of the company's 4Control system, and active dampers. While not pictured here, the Talisman will also be offered as a five-door wagon. You can expect to see both the sedan and long-roof models when Renault shows its newest entries in September, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Related Video: THE TALISMAN Renault's new saloon packs style and real driving enjoyment Renault is proud to reveal its new executive saloon. The evocatively named TALISMAN ticks all the boxes that D-segment customers have come to appreciate, while taking wellbeing and driving enjoyment to a new level. The Renault TALISMAN features a unique combination of: • Assertive styling: sleek, elegant lines.

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota battery breakthrough, PSA's millionth BlueHDi diesel

Scientists at Toyota have developed battery technology that allows for higher energy density. Using material from hydrogen storage, researchers at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan have created an electrolyte that works well with a magnesium metal anode. Besides improving energy density for smaller, more powerful batteries, magnesium is also more stable than lithium, making it a safer alternative. Rather than guarding their secret, Toyota is sharing details of this breakthrough in order to advance the technology in hopes of an earlier mass deployment of magnesium batteries. See the video above, and read more in the press release below. Farmdrop – a sort of online farmer's market in the UK – is looking for help naming its electric delivery "vanimals." The Nissan e-NV200 vans are painted and decorated to look like cows, pigs, and chickens. While three of the vans have already been named, fans can suggest their own clever ideas for the rest of the fleet on social media. Those whose names are selected will win a month's worth of shopping on Farmdrop. Cary McCarface, anyone? Read more at the company's website. PSA has built its millionth Euro 6 BlueHDi diesel engine. The automaker builds two diesel engines – a 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter – at its plant in Tremery, France at a rate of 7,000 engines a day. BlueHDi technology uses three different emissions control mechanisms to filter pollutants out of diesel exhaust, including an oxygen catalyst, an additive filter to remove particulate matter, and a Selective Catalytic Reduction system to reduce NOx. BlueHDi is used in all new Peugeot, Citroen, and DS Euro 6 diesel vehicles. Read more at Green Car Congress. Charging Ahead Toyota Scientists Make Breakthrough on Safer, Smarter Batteries May 04, 2016 ANN ARBOR, Mich. (May 4, 2016) -- For anyone (i.e. everyone) who's ever panicked when their mobile device chirped, "low battery," the future could be far less stressful, thanks to the advanced battery research of scientists at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA). A new breakthrough involving magnesium batteries may soon open the doors for smaller, longer-lasting batteries for everything from cars to cell phones. What's the Big Deal with Magnesium? Magnesium metal has long been theorized as a much safer and more energy-dense alternative to current lithium battery technology.