According to an agency report, the Japanese carmaker Nissan is pushing ahead with its growth plans in software and electric vehicles more independently of Alliance partner Renault. Somewhat strange when you know that the two companies recently agreed on retightening the links in a restructured Alliance.

At the beginning of this year, the manufacturer Alliance of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi announced a realignment of the existing partnership. Some joint eMobility activities are planned in Latin America, India, and Europe, probably with a joint 800-volt platform. Renault Group will significantly reduce its stake in Nissan, and the cross-shareholding would thus be 15% each. Nissan will participate 15% in Renault’s separate electric division, called Ampere.

Outside partner

But while the detailed terms of this reconsidered Alliance are being finalized, seven people who know the matter told the Reuters news agency that Nissan is already making new plans and putting out feelers for new partners.

Nissan is looking for a partner outside the car industry to develop new vehicle software and cloud-based services. According to one of the Reuters sources, Nissan is looking to address a weakness as it tries to make cars “smarter and more connected”. The software was also one of the points criticized in many tests of the current electric flagship Ariya.

According to the report, Nissan wants to become more independent from Renault with its electric drive systems. However, the announced 15% stake in Renault’s electric car division Ampere will be maintained.

However, according to two informants, Nissan has no plans to “provide technical support to Ampere”. Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid technology (a serial hybrid) will also not be made available to Horse, the joint venture for (partly) ICE-driven vehicles of Renault, Geely, and Aramco.

Alliance getting exhausted?

The background to Nissan’s desire for independence is the company’s opinion that the Alliance is exhausted, although they still see advantages in joint parts procurement. In addition, Nissan’s management believes increasingly that “Renault is not bearing its fair share of the costs for innovation and development.”

Even if Renault gets something from Nissan, benefits moving in the other direction are hard,” said one of the informants. “The restrictions from Renault are now gone, and we can move freely.”

In a joint statement to Reuters, the two carmakers indicated that they continued to work toward the “final partnership terms” that would make both companies more competitive. However, what that would mean was left open. According to the news agency’s information, Nissan could unveil a plan later this year that would be shaped by the new “go-for-it-alone” thinking.