Nissan says it has no interest in a merger with alliance partner Renault, despite the French government apparently pushing for exactly that.
Speaking with Nikkei Asian Review at the recent Beijing Motor Show, Nissan chief executive Hiroto Saikawa indicated that merging the two automakers wouldn’t make sense.
“I see no merit [in merging]. I think it would have side effects,” Saikawa said.
“The point of the alliance is to keep its members independent and maximize the growth of each. [This arrangement] produces synergies in areas like development and production,” he added.
The French government owns a 15.1 percent stake in Renault and is reportedly pushing for a merger with Nissan to expand the country’s automotive industry. The existing Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance sees Renault holding a 43.4 per cent stake in Nissan while Nissan has a 15 per cent stake in Renault and 34 per cent in Mitsubishi.
Although Nissan doesn’t want to merge with Renault, the Alliance’s chief executive Carlos Ghosn recently told the media that “all options are open” concerning that issue.
Meanwhile, uncertainty about the relationship between the two companies has had a negative impact on their share prices in recent days.
The future of Renault and Nissan, whatever it may be, will probably become clear at Groupe Renault’s annual general meeting in Paris next month.
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