Daimler, Renault-Nissan Alliance to Expand Partnership

Better-than-expected cost savings are prompting Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan alliance to expand their 4-year-old product development partnership, Bloomberg News reports.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told reporters at the Paris auto show last week the companies have significantly surpassed the €4 billion savings target they set in 2010.

The partners have so far collaborated on Mercedes-Benz powertrains, a joint assembly plant in Mexico to make small Mercedes and Infiniti luxury vehicles and a common platform for next-generation Daimler Smart and Renault Twingo city cars.

Separately, Daimler announced that its Mitsubishi Fuso commercial truck unit and Nissan have finalized a plan to coproduce a new van.