Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Munich Auto Show
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Technology
    • Segment Analysis
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
    • Meet the 2021 winners
    • Browse photos from the 2021 awards ceremony
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
    • TUV Rheinland: Battery testing center for large battery packs and more
    • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
    • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automakers
April 01, 2019 05:18 AM

Nissan CEO, Ghosn sought new alliance partner, report says

Ania Nussbaum and Ma Jie
Bloomberg
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Ghosn looking glum web.jpg
    Bloomberg

     Any evidence that there were discussions with Saikawa to expand the alliance could help Ghosn in his defense against charges of financial crimes.

     

    TOKYO -- Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa and the automaker's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, considered bringing in a new partner for the alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors last year and discussed possible acquisitions in China.

    At the time, two months before his arrest in Tokyo, Ghosn was under pressure to make the three-way automobile alliance "irreversible."

    In an email message to Ghosn seen by Bloomberg, Saikawa wrote that he had been working over the summer "quietly by myself" at Ghosn's request to find a structure that would be "acceptable for both sides." He offered to discuss possibilities with Ghosn.

    While Saikawa and Ghosn are said to have had differing views on further integration between Nissan and Renault, the email shows they were considering ways to expand the alliance. That could be a factor in Ghosn's defense against charges of financial crimes. Ghosn, who was chairman of all three companies, is now awaiting trial on bail after spending 108 days in a Tokyo prison. He has denied charges and blamed a "plot" against him by Nissan executives trying to prevent closer ties with Renault.

    In the correspondence, Saikawa raised the possibility of bringing in another automaker as a fourth partner for the alliance. He did not identify any potential candidate. He wrote that expansion opportunities also included "acquisition of Chinese companies" for electric vehicles or connected services.

    The email casts light on the private discussions between the two men on the way forward for the alliance, the biggest of its kind in the world. Internally Saikawa had argued against a full merger and that Nissan should remain independent or be the dominant force in any deeper union. He told business newspaper Nikkei in April 2018 that Nissan wanted to maintain the three-way alliance.

    Nissan spokesman Nicholas Maxfield said the company does not comment on, or confirm or deny, the content of internal communications. He said he would not comment on "matters potentially related to pending judicial processes." Representatives for Ghosn's family and Renault declined to comment.

    In the message to Ghosn, Saikawa advised changing the alliance's structure in 2019 "rather than wait." Seven months before, Ghosn had pledged to cement the partnership, a promise that came after France, Renault's most powerful shareholder, had demanded deeper ties with Nissan. Yet a move for closer relations faced resistance from within Nissan, which feared Renault would gain even greater sway. Already their shareholding is lopsided, with Renault owning 43 percent of Nissan compared with the Japanese automaker's 15 percent stake in Renault. Their partnership has been under further strain since Ghosn's Nov. 19 arrest.

    In considering bringing in a fourth partner for the alliance, Saikawa's email also highlights the pressure automakers are under to grow amid an expensive shift by the industry to electric and self-driving cars.

    Last week, the Financial Times reported that Renault wants to pursue the idea of a merger with Nissan, before a tie-up with another partner, possibly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Saikawa denied any deal-making talks, and said he was unaware of any such move by Renault. The French automaker declined to comment, and the government downplayed the report.

    In a bid to restore trust that had broken down in the aftermath of Ghosn's arrest, Renault and Nissan last month unveiled a new board to govern their alliance.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Ford internet-linked cars get sales ban in Germany in patent dispute
    Recommended for You
    Ford badge
    Ford internet-linked cars get sales ban in Germany in patent dispute
    Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake 2022
    Mercedes to debut EV-focused MMA platform for 'entry luxury' models in 2024
    Lancia Ypsilon 2021
    Lancia bets on online sales in European expansion
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Munich Auto Show
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Technology
      • Segment Analysis
      • Cars & Concepts
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress
      • ANE Rising Stars
        • Meet the 2021 winners
      • ANE Eurostars
        • Browse photos from the 2021 awards ceremony
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
        • TUV Rheinland: Battery testing center for large battery packs and more
        • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
        • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us