Electric Cars: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Announce Future Plans

The Renault Nissan Alliance is currently the world's largest electric car manufacturer. Since Mitsubishi joined the alliance, that number has grown even further making it the undisputed leader in the personal EV segment globally. And now the alliance has announced its plans to launch a plethora of new electric vehicles by 2022 in order to expand its sales and remain in the top spot as the world's largest electric car maker. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance will launch 12 new all-electric cars by 2022 apart from the hybrid and semi electrified cars that the auto makers intend to introduce to the market.

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(Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance)

Currently, the most popular electric car in the world is the Nissan Leaf - the second generation of which was unveiled recently and could make it to India. The new leaf will be joined by 12 new cars in the next few years, all of which will be built on shared platforms and will feature a certain level of autonomous technology from the get go. The alliance will also be adopting Mitsubishi's plug-in hybrid technology, or PHEV as it is termed, across the board in all its larger cars and utility vehicles. These electrified cars will also feature a whole new generation of electric motors and batteries that the alliance says will be launched from 2020 onwards.

(The Renault Kwid would make an ideal electric car for the Indian market)

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Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance, said "By the end of our strategic plan Alliance 2022, we aim to double our annual synergies to €10 billion. To achieve this target, on one side Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors will accelerate collaboration on common platforms, powertrains and next-generation electric, autonomous and connected technologies. From the other side, synergies will be enhanced by our growing scale. Our total annual sales are forecast to exceed 14 million units, generating revenues expected at $240 billion by the end of the plan."

(Carlos Goshn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance)

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Electric cars have always had an issue with range and charging times and the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance have stated that these new batteries and new electric motor tech will greatly improve range while sharply reducing charge times. The automakers predict a range of around 600 kilometres on a single charge with a quick charger offering up to 230 kilometres of range with only 15 minutes of charging time needed.

Considering India's strong push towards electric cars in the near future, it would not be surprising to see manufacturers like Renault in particular offering electrified versions of their popular cars in the country in the near future. The Kwid for example would make a great electric city car as it already packs in a ton of space and the largest boot in its class (and a class above) that could be optimised for battery storage.