Nissan under the gun on whether to form 4-way alliance

May 29, 2019 | News On Japan

May 29, 2019 (Nikkei) - The heads of Nissan Motor, Mitsubishi Motors and Renault will gather Wednesday to discuss Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' proposed merger with the French automaker, as Nissan reckons with the question of how to deal with the changes to the alliance that would ensue.

How Renault presents the offer to its two alliance partners will be a central point of the regular meeting, which will be attended by CEO Thierry Bollore and Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard from Renault, Nissan President and CEO Hiroto Saikawa and Mitsubishi Motors Chairman and CEO Osamu Masuko.

"I think that all the recent events are very good for the alliance, and I will make sure that Nissan and Mitsubishi will take great advantage of the news," Senard told reporters Tuesday.

FCA's merger proposal to Renault states that the deal would generate "significant benefits to the other alliance partners," including an estimated 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) in synergies.

Adding the Italian-American company to the alliance would expand it significantly, particularly in key auto markets. Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and FCA sold a combined 15.59 million vehicles worldwide last year, which would have put them in first place ahead of Volkswagen.

In the U.S., where Jeep and other FCA brands are particularly strong, the four companies together sold well over 3.8 million vehicles, more than market leader General Motors. Their combined sales in Europe came close to Volkswagen's.

Saikawa indicated Monday that he is open to discussing the proposal, saying he considers the news "positive for the future overall."

But a merger risks weakening Nissan's position in the alliance. Renault owns 43.4% of Nissan, which holds just a 15% nonvoting stake in its French partner. Yet the Japanese company has been the main driver of the three-way partnership in both size and technology, accounting for more than half the 10.75 million autos sold by the trio in 2018. Including FCA would drop Nissan's contribution to 36%.

The deal also could undercut Nissan's sway in new technologies such as self-driving vehicles. FCA has a partnership with Alphabet unit Waymo, which launched an autonomous taxi service in the U.S. late last year using Chrysler minivans.

Record Rain Triggers Level 5 Warning in Fukui

Record rainfall caused 19 rivers to overflow across Fukui Prefecture, flooding roads and homes, triggering landslides and temporarily forcing authorities to issue the highest-level heavy rain emergency warning from early Sunday morning.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

Typhoon No. 23 Overtakes No. 22 East of Japan as Both Head North

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Three Students Swept Out to Sea in Kagoshima

Three teenage boys who went missing after being swept offshore from the coast of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 28 were found in the sea near the scene on August 29 and confirmed dead.

Foreign Cyclist Suffers Broken Shoulder in Shiga Hit-and-Run

A foreign man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, early on August 29, with police investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Bread Dumping Mystery Takes a Twist

A fake video apparently created with generative AI showing a large bear eating piles of sliced bread has spread on social media following a series of illegal bread dumping incidents in Tottori Prefecture, prompting the prefectural government to warn that misinformation could cause economic harm.

Teens Arrested for Spraying Fire Extinguishers at Police Station

Three youths, including a high school student and a junior high school student, have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing police duties after allegedly stealing fire extinguishers and spraying them toward a police station in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture.

Avant-Garde Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese avant-garde artist whose obsessive dots, nets, pumpkins and mirrored rooms grew from intensely personal visions into some of the most recognizable images in contemporary art, died at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97. Her death was announced on August 27 by companies representing the artist, which said she continued painting until her final days.

Bus Driver Crashes While Shooing Away Mosquito

A Toei bus crashed into a traffic signal in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward on the morning of August 26 after the driver lost control of the steering wheel while trying to shoo away a mosquito, leaving two male passengers injured.

Don't Touch Paramedics' Shoes! Kanazawa Warns

Kanazawa's fire department is asking residents not to straighten or rearrange shoes removed by paramedics during emergency calls, warning that the well-intentioned gesture can delay the transport of patients by around 30 seconds and potentially interfere with medical care.

Luxury Watch Theft Carried Out in 10 Seconds

Two men who stole four luxury watches worth a combined 200 million yen from a store at Tokyo's Nakano Broadway may have carefully planned the 10-second theft, with one suspect renting an electric kick scooter shortly before the crime and investigators examining whether the other man's escape on foot was intended as a decoy.

< 2 3 4 5 >