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PARIS & TOKYO, Jan 28, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the members of one of the world's leading automotive alliances, today announced common projects and actions to accelerate and to shape their shared future towards 2030, focusing on the mobility value chain.

Highlights:
- The 2030 roadmap focuses on pure electric vehicles and connected mobility.
- Aims to enhance usage of common platforms to reach 80% in 2026.
- Mitsubishi Motors to reinforce presence in Europe with two new models based on Renault best-sellers.
- To invest EUR 23B in the next five years to support its offensive strategy in electrification.
- With 35 new EV cars in 2030, proposes the largest global EV offer, based on the five common EV platforms.
- Nissan unveils an all-new EV based on the CMF-BEV Alliance platform to replace the Micra in Europe; vehicle planned to be manufactured at Renault ElectriCity, the electric industrial center in Northern France.
- Reinforces common battery strategy aiming to secure a global 220 GWh production capacity by 2030.
- Nissan to lead development of breakthrough all-solid-state battery technology to benefit all members.
- Renault to lead development on common centralized electrical and electronic architecture and will launch the first full software defined vehicle by 2025.

A year and a half after announcing its new cooperation business model to support member-company competitiveness and profitability, the Alliance is now based on solid foundations, benefits from an efficient operational governance organization and from intensified as well as flexible cooperation.

Continuing the Leader-Follower scheme defined in May 2020, select technology is developed by one leading team with the support of the followers, thereby allowing each member of the Alliance to access all the key technologies.

The Alliance has defined a common 2030 roadmap on pure-EV and Intelligent & Connected mobility, sharing investments for the benefits of its three-member companies and their customers.

"Among the world's automotive leaders, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is a proven, unique model. For 22 years, we have been building on our respective cultures and strengths for our common benefit," said Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Alliance. "Today the Alliance is accelerating to lead the mobility revolution and deliver more value to customers, our people, our shareholders and all our stakeholders. The three member-companies have defined a common roadmap towards 2030, sharing investments in future electrification and connectivity projects. These are massive investments that none of the three companies could make alone. Together, we are making the difference for a new and global sustainable future; the Alliance becoming carbon neutral by 2050."

Moving together for the benefit of each - Leader-Follower scheme

The Alliance members have developed a "smart differentiation" methodology that defines the desired level of commonality for each vehicle, integrating several parameters of possible pooling, such as platforms, production plants, powertrains or vehicle segment. This is supplemented and enhanced by a stricter approach to design and upper-body differentiation. For example, the common platform for the C and D segment will carry five models from three brands of the Alliance (Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander, Renault Austral and an upcoming seven-seater SUV).

Strengthening this process, the Alliance members will enhance usage of common platforms in the coming years from 60% today to more than 80% of its combined 90 models in 2026. This will allow each company to deepen their focus on their customers' needs, their best models and core markets, while also extending innovations across the Alliance, at a lower cost.

As part of this, Mitsubishi Motors will reinforce its presence in Europe with two new models, among them the New ASX based on Renault best-sellers.

Five common EV platforms: the largest global offer of the industry

Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have pioneered the EV market, with more than EUR10 B already invested in the field of electrification. In the main markets (Europe, Japan, the US, China) 15 Alliance plants already produce parts, motors, batteries for 10 EV models on the streets, with more than 1 million EV cars sold so far and 30 billion e-kilometers driven.

Building on this unique expertise, the Alliance is accelerating with a total EUR 23B more investment in the next five years on electrification, leading to 35 new EV models by 2030.

90% of these models will be based on five common EV platforms, covering most markets, in all major regions:
- CMF-AEV, the most affordable platform in the world, is the base for the new Dacia Spring.
- KEI-EV (mini vehicle) platform family for ultra-compact EVs.
- LCV-EV Family platform family for professional customers, as the base for the Renault Kangoo and Nissan Town Star.
- CMF-EV, the global, flexible, EV platform. It will be on the roads in a few weeks as the base for the Nissan Ariya EV crossover and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. The CMF-EV platform, with its technological innovations and the potential offered by its modularity, is a benchmark platform for a new generation of electric vehicles for the Alliance partners. The platform has been created to integrate and optimize all the elements specific to a 100% electric powertrain, hosting a new, high-performance motor and an ultra-thin battery. By 2030, more than 15 models will be based on the CMF-EV platform, with up to 1.5 million cars produced on this platform per year.
- CMF-BEV, the most competitive compact electric platform in the world, to be launched in 2024. It provides up to 400 km range; its aerodynamics performances are outstanding, helping reduce cost by 33% and power consumption by more than 10% compared to the current Renault ZOE. It will be the base for 250,000 vehicles a year under the Renault, Alpine and Nissan brands.

Among the vehicles are the Renault R5 and the new compact EV that will replace the Nissan Micra. Designed by Nissan and engineered by Renault, the new model is planned to be manufactured at Renault ElectriCity: the electric industrial center in Northern France.

Common battery strategy, breakthrough battery innovations and a planned 220 GWh production capacity to bring a highly competitive and attractive offer to all customers

Competitiveness is key, and that has led member companies to a common Alliance battery strategy, leading, among others, to the selection of a common battery supplier for Renault and Nissan in core markets.

The Alliance is working with common partners to achieve real scale and affordability, enabling to reduce battery costs by 50% in 2026 and 65% by 2028.

With this approach, by 2030, the Alliance will have a total of 220 GWh battery production capacity for EVs across key production sites in the world.

Beyond that, the Alliance shares a common vision for all-solid-state battery technology (ASSB). Based on its deep expertise and unique experience as a pioneer in battery technology, Nissan will lead innovations in this area that will benefit all Alliance members.

ASSB will have double the energy density versus current liquid lithium-ion batteries. Charging time will also be greatly reduced to one-third, enabling customers to make longer trips with increased, convenience, confidence and enjoyment.

The aim is to mass produce ASSB by mid-2028, and in the future beyond that to realize cost parity with ICE vehicles by bringing costs down further to 65$ per kWh, accelerating the global shift to EVs.

The Alliance battery management system is also at state-of-the art. Unlike others in the industry, the Alliance has chosen to control 100% of its hardware and software, benefiting from very valuable predictive data, allowing for monitoring the state of health of the battery and improving technology.

The Alliance is working with strategic partners to offer the best proposal to customers for public charging on the road. Mobilize Power Solutions provides to B2B customers a complete end-to-end service including project design, installation, maintenance and management of optimized recharging infrastructure and all related services to meet their business needs.

A recent agreement is with Ionity via the Alliance Emobility Service Provider Plug Surfing, which will allow its customers to access at preferential pricing to the Ionity ultra-fast charging network in Europe.

With more than 10 years' experience in the EV business, Alliance members have deep knowledge that allows them to be ahead of the competition in optimizing battery reuse, notably with second life battery applications, recycling and achieving efficient and sustainable solutions over the full battery life cycle.

25 Million cars connected to the Alliance Cloud by 2026: The best-in-class digital experience for customers

Intelligent and connected mobility are critical areas for increased shared innovation across the Alliance.

With 20 years' experience in ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) and autonomous drive, the Alliance keeps improving real-world driving safety, convenience, and enjoyment by delivering innovations in intelligent vehicle and driver assistance technologies, with an example being Nissan's award-winning ProPILOT system.

With shared platforms and electronics, by 2026 Alliance members expect to have more than 10 million vehicles on the road across 45 Alliance models equipped with autonomous driving systems.

Today, 3 million vehicles are already connected to the Alliance Cloud with permanent data exchanges.

By 2026, more than 5 million Alliance cloud systems will be delivered per year, with 25 million total cars on the road. The Alliance will also be the first global, mass-market OEM to introduce the Google ecosystem in its cars.

Under Renault's leadership, the Alliance is developing a common centralized electrical and electronic architecture converging electronics hardware and software applications to offer maximum benefits and an optimal level of performance.

The Alliance will launch its first full software defined vehicle by 2025. With this vehicle, the Alliance will improve its cars Over The Air performance throughout their life cycle. This means value for customers with the integration of their car into their digital ecosystem to offering a personalized experience, new enhanced services, and reduced maintenance costs. This will also allow Alliance members to boost vehicle resale values. In addition, Software defined vehicles will be able to communicate with connected objects, users, and infrastructure, opening new fields of value for the Alliance companies.

Alliance best-in-class digital experience will be the gateway to an unprecedented amount of data, paving the way to the automotive industry's next frontier. with Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and Mitsubishi Motors positioned at the forefront of this revolution.


Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.comRenault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the members of one of the world's leading automotive alliances, today announced common projects and actions to accelerate and to shape their shared future towards 2030, focusing on the mobility value chain.

TOKYO, Jan 19, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that, in December 2021, the company signed a joint development agreement in the area of Lithium-Metal secondary batteries(1) with SES Holdings Pte. Ltd.("SES"), a U.S. (Boston)-based EV battery research and development company.

Moreover, SES plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) transaction, and through the PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering by the SPAC, Honda plans to acquire approximately 2% of the shares of SES AI Corporation, the company to be listed on NYSE(2)(3).

The battery is a crucial component of battery electric vehicles (EV) and Honda, which is accelerating electrification of its products on a global basis, has been concurrently looking into several options for next-generation batteries, including the all-solid-state batteries Honda is developing independently. This joint development agreement with SES is part of the overall battery strategy of Honda.

From here onward, Honda and SES will pursue joint research for the realization of safe, high-durability and high-capacity next-generation EV batteries.

Comments by Shinji Aoyama, Managing Executive Officer in Charge of Electrification, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., "The battery is an essential component of EVs, and Honda has been concurrently looking into several options toward the realization of high-capacity, safe and low-cost next-generation batteries. Recognizing the advanced technologies of SES, Honda signed a joint development agreement with SES with the aim to establish a good relationship with SES and expeditiously generate substantial achievements through our joint research activities. Honda will continue to establish collaborative relationships with companies which have advanced technologies, as needed, to offer highly-competitive and attractive EVs to our customers."

(1) Batteries with Lithium-Metal anode, which are expected to realize higher energy density than Lithium-ion batteries (which usually use carbon-based materials for the anode).
(2) On October 22, 2021, Honda signed a PIPE subscription agreement with Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp. ("Ivanhoe"), a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) listed on the NYSE, pursuant to which Honda is scheduled to acquire shares of Ivanhoe on the day of the merger between SES and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ivanhoe, with SES the surviving entity ("the merger"), prior to the completion of the merger. Ivanhoe, which will wholly own SES, plans to change its name to SES AI Corporation prior to the completion of the merger. Fulfillment of all prerequisites for the execution of the merger, including approval of SES and Ivanhoe shareholders, is a prerequisite for the stock purchase by Honda.
(3) The shareholding percentage above is based on the assumption that the shareholders of Ivanhoe will not exercise their redemption rights.


Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.comHonda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that, in December 2021, the company signed a joint development agreement in the area of Lithium-Metal secondary batteries(1) with SES Holdings Pte. Ltd.(SES), a U.S. (Boston)-based EV battery research and development company.

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