“At the same time, they offer a solution for drastically reducing tailpipe Carbon dioxide emissions”, Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance was quoted as saying in the statement.
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The Tokyo Motor Show kicked off Wednesday with a focus on cars that drive themselves, eco-friendly technologies, and a concept vehicle with tablet-style touch screens aimed at a digital generation.
The structure of the alliance, which was put together when Nissan was near bankruptcy, has become a source of tension after the French government increased its shareholding in Renault without giving advance notice to Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive officer of both carmakers. It all started back in April, when France’s Economy Minister Emmanual Macron raised the government’s stake in Renault from 15 to 19.7%, which allowed the government to force a permanent doubling of its voting rights in the company’s decisions. Under French law, Nissan doesn’t have voting rights for its stake, as it’s considered under Renault control.
Under a French law passed a year ago, the government’s voting rights in Renault will double next spring, fueling concern over upsetting the automaker’s stable partnership with Nissan. Voting rights could be revived if Renault’s stake falls to less than 40 percent, and Renault is also considering that move, people familiar with the situation said earlier this month.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is providing a fleet of 200 electric vehicles for the 21st United Nations Conference of Parties (COP21) environmental summit in Paris in November, said to be the largest all-electric fleet ever deployed. “That’s what’s taking place today”, he said in an interview.
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Nissan shares rose 1.6 percent to 1,262.50 yen in Tokyo while the benchmark Topix advanced 0.3 percent.
