Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi to share common EV platforms

The next-generation Nissan Leaf, imagined by Autocar

Reports suggest trio of associated companies will base their electric models on shared underpinnings

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

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

Nikkei said that 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 alternative) 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.

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Source: Car