There could be a pending shift in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) universe with Renault considering shedding at least some of its ownership in Nissan.
The two automakers have been collaborating since 1999 when both manufacturers took a 15% share of each other.
Renault though has increased its ownership of the Japanese brand in the ensuing years to 43%.
Mitsubishi came into the group after Nissan took a large ownership stake in their compatriot brand in 2016.
Since that time the three brands have worked under the umbrella of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance.
That alliance has impacted the Australian LCV market by way of the introduction in 2018 of the re-badged Renault traffic, sold until recently in our market as the Mitsubishi Express (pictured above).
But the partnership might soon look very different.
Reports out of Europe today say the Renault Group is considering selling all, or at least a percentage of its 43% stake in Nissan.
That move could net them billions of dollars, which, if the reports are correct, will be reinvested into the French group’s electric vehicle ambitions.
It was reported in February that those ambitions could include an all-new, all-electric brand.
No official comment has yet been made by either Renault or Nissan.
One factor that might have sped-up Renault’s move towards a Nissan sell-off was the war in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to Renault pulling out of Russia, a costly move given Russia was the French manufacturer’s second-largest market.
Renault also had a now closed manufacturing plant in Moscow.
