Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Alliance Launch Their Electric Offensive for 2030

The Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Alliance formalizes its 2030 plan, with 23 billion euros dedicated to a range of 35 fully electric vehicles.

Like all automotive groups, the Alliance needed to present an investment plan for electric, autonomous, and connected vehicles. The rumor was true earlier this week, and Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi unveiled their vision this Thursday.

In a press release and an online conference, the three brands announced their 2030 plan. Over the next 8 years, they will invest 30 billion euros. This amount is tripled compared to their previous investment of 10 billion euros. It will enable the launch of 35 new electric models by the end of the decade.

Nissan Micra, a Cousin of the Made-in-France R5 Electric

Of the 30 billion euros invested, 23 billion will be dedicated to electricity. 90% of the new models will rely on five common platforms, mostly already known. These platforms will also be used by Alpine and Infiniti brands.

The only new base will be the CMF-BEV, used for the upcoming Renault 5 electric, which will debut in 2024. Its cost will be lower than the ZOE, thus below 30,000 euros, with a range of up to 400 km. It will also underpin an entirely new model, the successor to the Nissan Micra. The new electric city car’s design features are inspired by its rounded form, sitting between Mini and Honda e style.

Followed by a Dacia, probably an electric Sandero, as well as an Alpine. The goal is to reach 250,000 units sold annually by 2026. For comparison, the platform CMF-EV used in the Renault Mégane E-Tech aims for 1.5 million units in 2025.

The other electric platforms include:

• CMF-AEV (Dacia Spring)
• CMF-EV (15 models including Nissan Ariya, Renault Mégane E-Tech)
• KEI-EV (small Japanese city cars from Nissan and Mitsubishi)
• LCV-EV (Renault Kangoo E-Tech, Nissan Townstar electric)

Hybrid also

Regarding hybrid mobility, Renault and Nissan will continue their synergies. The upcoming Renault Austral, replacing the Kadjar, will be based on the Nissan Qashqai. Mitsubishi has confirmed the arrival of two new models in 2023, including the new ASX with a plug-in hybrid version and a small city car similar to Clio made in France, with a hybrid variant.

Agreement with Ionity and Solid-State Batteries by 2028

A key challenge for automakers is that investing in electric cars alone is not enough. The Alliance is also focusing on battery manufacturing, aiming for 220 GWh capacity in 2030. Details are still scarce, but this will include the Douai site (AESC Envision, 9 GWh) starting in 2024 and the Verkor plant (10 GWh) in France by 2026.

To improve charging experience in all situations, the Alliance has signed an agreement with Ionity. Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi will join other major automakers like BMW, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Ford. In practice, this will offer preferential charging prices, which will be announced later.

The Alliance also emphasizes solid-state batteries, considering them a “breakthrough technology.” They will double energy density, increase inside space, and enable charging speeds three times faster than lithium-ion batteries. These “ASSB” solid batteries are expected in 2028, after which costs should decrease to around $65 per kWh.

What about autonomous and connected driving?

Finally, autonomous driving remains a major development focus. The three brands estimate that 10 million cars will operate with autonomous systems by 2026.

In terms of embedded systems, 25 million cars will have software developed in partnership with Google by that time. The first fully connected vehicles are expected in 2025, with the ability to perform remote significant updates. This has been Tesla’s long-time offering, and Volkswagen plans to follow from 2024.

Also read: Tesla: record profits in 2021, no new models before 2023