While Carlos Ghosn’s criminal prosecution in Japan may have created tensions inside the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, it is apparently not slowing down the three automakers’ plans to bring their vehicle platforms closer together, Philippe Klein told Automotive News.
Klein, Nissan’s head of global planning, said “I am going to be damn clear. What is taking place is not changing, is not challenging, is not questioning [the alliance]. There is frankly no willingness to change that” in response to whether Ghosn’s legal trouble is causing a reconsideration of shared platforms.
Klein explained that the three firms recently met to develop a new level of shared product development activity, which extends to a range of global vehicles. Of the Nissan vehicles expected to hit the market over the next five years, “all but one will be heavily sharing platforms and components” with alliance partners, said Klein, adding that “we are not changing our product planning process at all.”
Weaving together the product development efforts of the alliance had been a passionate mission for Ghosn in recent years. The alliance has already announced plans to share global platforms across a large number of vehicle segments.
All was well, until Ghosn was arrested on November 19 on charges of complex financial misconducts. He was quickly removed as chairman of Nissan and Mitsubishi, but remains as CEO of Renault – his duties are currently being handled by other senior executives.
Klein declined to discuss Ghosn’s situation during an interview at the Detroit Auto Show, but reacted strongly to the question on whether Ghosn’s departure might cause Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi to drift away from their alliance efforts. “There is a lot of things moving, and it’s going to require readjustment,” Klein said of the crisis. “But, we are going to manage to go through that.”
Disrupting the alliance might not be an option, because its network of manufacturing, sourcing and product planning are deeply intertwined. In fact, cooperation between the three automakers is critical to tackling current industry challenges, especially relating to tightening environmental regulations, powertrain transitions, development of autonomous driving tech and emergence of new transportation models.
The automakers are stitched together in a complex web of cross-shareholdings. Renault holds a 43% controlling stake in Nissan. Nissan, the bigger, more profitable partner, owns just 15% of Renault and has no voting rights. Nissan also has a controlling, 34% stake in Mitsubishi.
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If follow this kind of strict law, all Proton ex directors would have been arrested too
This is because in 6 months of his work, Li Chunrong identified that the kroni vendors and suppliers were overcharging Proton the past 20 years and this resulted in Proton going bust.
Local CEOs and directors could not identify this major problem the past 20 years.
It is high time we prosecute all directors and ex bosses of Proton. This is because all the bailout money of RM20 billion came from the rakyat to save Proton
60 years of dedak and corruption has caused Malaysia a bad name. Luckily as of May 9th 2018, our reputation is getting better and better
this is small matter compared to 1MDB. Bye bye dedak. No more dedak in 2019
Now we got clean Government, here also we see a lot of prosecution for DEDAK.
Unlike 60 years of corruption where there was no prosecution at all
Correct.
For the past 60 years, corrupted ministers and cronies always songlap duit from the rakyat.
Then when it’s time for Pilihanraya, the old corrupted regime gave dedak to people to gain votes.
Luckily, all Malaysians woke up and voted for a new clean government. Now, all the former corrupted ministers will be prosecuted, just like Ghosn. Both of them songlap duit, now they must face the consequences
Everyone woke up expect our keyboard warrior john
john ate too much dedak alr. thats why he is bodo. even about cars he know nothing one
Jepunis now learn the hard truth, they can get rid of the man but they can’t get rid of his idea. People come and go but ideas remains. Jepunis should surrender and heed their French overlord while they still can.
French overlord?
Carlos Ghosn was born in Brazil and has Brazilian, Lebanese and French passports…
Please read on Ghosn profile at Nissan. His immediate superiors are Renault BoD, not Nissan.
‘all but one will be heavily sharing..’
is that ‘one’ the GTR
x pyh komen la kalu xnak nampak bodoh…dah tua pun bangang…camne org bleh undi… jd nelayan lg bagus la…