The Renault-Nissan alliance has become the latest global car company to tie up with a Chinese manufacturer to develop battery-powered vehicles.
T he Renault-Nissan alliance has become the latest global car company to tie up with a Chinese manufacturer to develop battery-powered vehicles.
The French-Japanese business is joining forces with China’s Dongfeng Motor Group to form eGT New Energy Automotive, a 50: 50 joint venture.
Already the world’s largest car market with 28m sales last year, China also leads in electric vehicles with 256,000 of them sold last year in the country.
A s the Beijing government tries to improve air quality in the country’s congested cities, electric vehicles are in huge demand, with 204,000 sold in the first seven months of the year, up a third on the same point a year ago. The state is also offering subsidies and other incentives to companies in the sector as part of its pro-electric stance.
Strength of demand in China means global car makers are turning to the country as an ideal place to develop new electric vehicles, with the government’s support for the technology adding impetus.
The first car from eGT will use an existing small SUV platform from Renault-Nissan, as well as the group’s design and and electric vehicle technology, with low cost manufacturing from Dongfeng.
Working out of Dongfeng’s plant in Shiyan in central China, eGT expects to begin production in 2019 with an annual production capacity of 120,000 vehicles.
“The establishment of the new joint venture confirms our common commitment to develop competitive electric vehicles for the Chinese market, ” said Carlos Ghosn, boss of Renault-Nissan.
