Renault and Nissan have established a new research and development company in Shanghai, China. The alliance, which will be referred to as Alliance Innovation Lab Shanghai (AIL-SH), will be a 50/50 venture between the two OEMs, focused on autonomous, connected and electric vehicles. Technologies developed could in future be applied on Renault and Nissan vehicles sold in China and around the world.
“China is not only the world’s largest auto market, but is also at the leading edge of new technologies that will change the face of future mobility,” said Takao Asami, senior VP, research and advanced engineering at AIL-SH.
“From a strategic point of view, it is vital that the alliance has a development hub in this thriving market, where the alliance sold more vehicles than anywhere else in 2018. The knowledge and skills obtained here will be leveraged not just inside China but globally, helping to contribute to the demanding objectives of our alliance 2022 mid-term plan.”
Kenju Kobayashi, global director of AIL-SH, added, “Shanghai is a leading hub for innovation in China for automotive and other industries. By bringing together the talents of the alliance with the expertise found in Shanghai and across China, we will be able to aggressively pursue open innovation that transcends industry boundaries and rapidly develop technologies driving the business growth of alliance members.”
Under the alliance 2022 mid-term plan, 12 new zero-emission electric vehicles will be developed and launched, and 40 vehicles introduced with different levels of autonomy and over 90% of vehicles will be connected cars globally. The plan also includes a commitment to operating robo-vehicle ride-hailing mobility services.
