Renault will stop sourcing components and spare parts from Nissan’s plants in Ávila and Cantabria at the end of 2026, adding another chapter to the gradual unwinding of the once tightly integrated Franco-Japanese alliance.
Nissan confirmed that Renault had decided not to renew the commercial arrangements with the two Spanish sites.
The impact will be felt most strongly in Ávila, where Renault’s work accounts for more than half of production, according to trade unions. The factory employs around 450 people.
Only about 6%
Renault-related projects account for only about 6% of activity at Nissan’s Cantabria plant in Los Corrales de Buelna. Nissan therefore expects the loss to be absorbed without a significant effect on its overall volumes there.
The company has begun looking for new industrial projects and customers to replace Renault’s workload in Ávila. It says that possible projects with third parties are also being evaluated, with the continuity of the plant and employment as the priority.
Regional and local authorities, Nissan, and employee representatives have established a working group to identify additional production capacity.
A first meeting reportedly ruled out an immediate closure, but alternative work must still be found before Renault’s orders end in December.
From trucks to spare parts
Ávila previously built Nissan commercial vehicles but was converted into a components and spare-parts operation after vehicle production ended. The transformation was closely linked to the Renault-Nissan Alliance and was intended to supply both manufacturers’ European operations.
Renault’s departure removes one of the pillars on which that conversion was based. It also comes as Nissan is carrying out a much wider restructuring to reduce costs, production capacity, and employment after years of weak profitability.
Renault declined to comment in detail, reportedly describing the decision as a commercial matter between the companies.
Selective cooperation replaces integration
The Spanish move does not mean that Renault and Nissan are ending all industrial cooperation. Instead, it illustrates how the relationship has shifted from broad integration towards a smaller number of projects in which both partners see a clear financial advantage.
Ampere, Renault Group’s electric-car division, already develops and produces the latest Nissan Micra at its Douai factory in northern France. The same plant also builds the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross alongside Renault and Alpine models.
Renault and Nissan have also agreed that Ampere will develop and manufacture a Nissan city car derived from the new electric Twingo. The model is expected to give Nissan a lower-cost entry point into Europe’s electric-car market.
At the same time, the partners have loosened their ownership links and dismantled several legacy structures.
Renault completed the acquisition of Nissan’s share in their Indian manufacturing joint venture in 2025, while Nissan was released from its planned €600 million investment in Ampere. Their revised agreement also opened the door to reducing reciprocal shareholdings from 15% to 10%.
The result is an alliance that increasingly resembles a supplier-project partnership rather than the integrated automotive group once envisaged under Carlos Ghosn. Renault’s exit from Nissan’s Spanish component plants is another visible step in that transition.
