In 2017, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance sold an estimated 10.6 million passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles (LCVs), making it the best-selling automotive group in the world. Such an achievement stems from the Alliance’s commitment to driving maximum synergies, while enabling individual brands to retain their distinct identities and realise sustained revenue growth.
Renault sold more than 3.76 million vehicles in 2017, establishing a strong presence in emerging markets: Russia, India, Iran, Turkey, and Brazil. Nissan sold more than 5.8 million vehicles, while Mitsubishi (in which Nissan has a controlling stake) racked up sales of 1 million in vehicle, with China and the US being the largest markets for both companies.
Renault and Nissan have generated strong synergies over the years in the purchasing, engineering, and manufacturing spaces.
A. Purchasing: Since 2009, the Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organisation (RNPO) has been responsible for 100% of all Alliance purchases. The convergence of platform, powertrain, and component development has helped RNPO generate very high economies of scale for the Alliance.
B. Engineering: The joint development of a modular vehicle platform - the Common Module Family (CMF - is aimed at reducing manufacturing costs across the Alliance
C. Manufacturing: In emerging markets, such as Russia, India and Brazil, the Alliance has worked in unison to boost market penetration. In 2010, the first joint manufacturing facility was set up in India, to manufacture Renault, Nissan and Datsun vehicles.
D. LCV: Renault, which also manufactures for Fiat and Nissan, has a strong presence in the global van market, while Nissan has a light truck business unit. The LCV unit was spun off into a separate business unit in 2017, to grow LCV sales worldwide.
Research Highlights
Future of the Alliance: In September 2017, the Alliance announced its ambitious six-year plan. Highlights of the Alliance 2022 plan are:
- 9 million vehicles to share four platforms
- Powertrain sharing to increase from 30% to 75%
- 12 pure electric models
- 40 vehicles with autonomous drive technology
- Robo-vehicle ridehailing service operator
Key Conclusion
Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi have come together to form Alliance Ventures, a venture capital unit through which they intend to spend $1 billion in the next 5 years on innovative technology and new business models
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Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Renault
- Nissan
- Mitsubishi
