Currently reading: Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi to share EV platforms
Reports suggest trio of associated companies will base their electric models on common underpinnings

Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi will share electric vehicle architecture in order to reduce development costs of future models, according to reports in Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is already working on shared vehicle architecture for the next-generation Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe models, but this is the first time Mitsubishi – which was recently bought by Nissan following a fuel economy scandal – has been listed as a beneficiary of co-developed electric platforms.

Nikkei said the engineering and development departments of the brands would work together to streamline production of parts including motors, inverters (which convert direct electric currents to alternating) and batteries.

The results would drive down costs and therefore reduce the purchase price of each model. This has long been an aim for CEO of all three brands Carlos Ghosn, who wants to produce electric vehicles that cost no more than their conventional combustion-engined equivalents.

In response to the reports in Nikkei, Nissan said no announcement has been made. The other two brands haven’t commented at this stage.

Read more:

Renault confirms low-cost electric vehicle

Next-generation Nissan Leaf targets 340-mile range

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toadster 19 December 2016

A new kind of electricity?

'which convert direct electric currents to alternative' ??? I'm guessing alternative electricity currents aren't direct or alternating then! This must be some kind of new technology.
typos1 19 December 2016

Theyre all part of the same

Theyre all part of the same group of companies and theyre sharing a common platform ? Really ? You dont say, what a surprise, never saw that one coming ! Slow news day Autocar ?
Walking 19 December 2016

Cost Parity

Will EV and ICE ever have list price parity? Surely if they do EV blows ICE out of the water for most People/Journeys. I don't like Renault's battery leasing approach if that's what they mean by parity. If that is the case parity is here just by production up scaling.
xxxx 19 December 2016

Renault's battery leasing

You probably know this but going forward Renault are going to offer out-right purchase too.