Fiat-Renault would be ‘world leader’ in AVs and EVs

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has suggested a merger with Renault which it believes would make the combined company a ‘world leader’ in new mobility technologies. The proposal stems from discussions between both companies to identify products and geographies in which they could collaborate. FCA says the case for combination is strengthened by the need to take bold decisions to capture opportunities such as connectivity, electrification and autonomous vehicles (AVs). The combined business is expected
May 28, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

1674 Fiat 1958 Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has suggested a merger with 2453 Renault which it believes would make the combined company a ‘world leader’ in new mobility technologies.

The proposal stems from discussions between both companies to identify products and geographies in which they could collaborate.

FCA says the case for combination is strengthened by the need to take bold decisions to capture opportunities such as connectivity, electrification and autonomous vehicles (AVs).

The combined business is expected to sell approximately 8.7 million vehicles annually as well as lead in electric vehicle (EV) technologies.

Reports suggest that France’s finance minister Bruno Le Maire is seeking to protect local jobs and ensure that no factories in the country shut down if the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external deal false https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-renault-m-a-fiat-chrysler/france-insists-any-renault-fiat-deal-must-protect-french-jobs-le-maire-idUKKCN1SY0FR false false%>goes ahead.

Speaking to RTL Radio, he described the plan as a good opportunity for Renault and the European car industry but emphasised that the government would seek guarantees in exchange for backing the deal.

These include the preservation of industrial jobs at French sites, for the country to be well represented on the board of the new company, for it to lead in the development of electric batteries and for the deal to take place within the framework of the existing alliance between Renault and 838 Nissan.

Related Content

  • Ford plans AV transport in Austin in 2021
    October 4, 2019
    Ford Motor is to launch an autonomous vehicle (AV) transportation service in Austin, Texas, by 2021. Reuters says Ford is testing a self-driving system - developed with Argo AI, an AV technology company backed by Ford - in its Fusion Hybrid sedans. Sherif Marakby, chief executive of Ford autonomous vehicles, says the company is planning to launch the service using hybrids that can carry either people or goods. Argo AI says teams will manually drive the Fusion test vehicles to map the city’s streets an
    Read More
  • No need for safety drivers in AVs, says UK government
    February 7, 2019
    The UK government has signalled that it is ready to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) with no driver to be tested on public roads. It is already committed to having fully self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2021. At present, operators are legally required to test AVs only when “a driver is present, in or out of the vehicle, who is ready, able, and willing to resume control of the vehicle”. But the Department for Transport (DfT)’s updated code of practice on trialling AVs on public roads - as opposed t
    Read More
  • Zero-emission transport at centre of Democrat ‘Green New Deal’
    February 13, 2019
    Clean and affordable transportation and zero-emission vehicle infrastructure are at the heart of the US Democrats’ ‘Green New Deal’ package. The proposals seek to move the US away from fossil fuels and other sources of emissions that cause global warming within the next decade. The package says these goals can be reached by reached by a ten-year “national mobilisation” which include an overhaul in transportation systems to eliminate pollution and greenhouse as much as technologically feasible, repai
    Read More
  • World Economic Forum: AVs face two big challenges
    July 3, 2019
    Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will not be widely adopted unless tech issues and business cases are sorted out, says an expert at the World Economic Forum (WEF). In an interview with CNBC, Michelle Avary, head of autonomous mobility at the organisation, said: “Really making sure that the technology is working in the areas of perception, which is vision — being able to identify objects and then understand how to move around them. That has yet to be solved.” Speaking at the WEF’s Annual Meeting of the New Ch
    Read More

Highlighted Content