Former Renault-Nissan Alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn made new statements regarding the future of Renault and Nissan. Speaking at length to French television channel BFM Business, he said that Nissan is “in a critical situation” and that Renault has once again become “a small European company without global reach.”
Carlos Ghosn added, “This situation was expected since 2020.” The former Renault-Nissan Alliance chairman believes the end of the alliance between Renault and Nissan was foreseeable.
He also said that the €4.6 billion losses announced by the Japanese manufacturer are due to “decisions that were made too slowly.” Ghosn claims that “the company is in a dire state” and finds itself “forced to go and seek help from one of its main competitors in Japan,” Honda. He added, “The main problem lies with Nissan’s management.”
The former CEO of Renault does not believe in an alliance between the two Japanese companies. He says, “It’s like thinking about an alliance between Renault and Peugeot in France; it’s illogical.”
The former CEO continues, “Renault has returned to what it was before 1999: a small European company, well-managed within that framework, but without global reach.”
Carlos Ghosn believes the French automaker is in a “very dangerous” position because it is “absent in China and the United States,” two of the three largest auto markets alongside Europe.
To regain its position, Carlos Ghosn believes Renault “must innovate and do something different from the norm.” Regarding a potential alliance with the Chinese company Geely, the former CEO said, “The depth of the relationship with Geely will be important for Renault in the future.”
It is noteworthy that Mr. Carlos Ghosn has sought refuge in Lebanon since fleeing Japan in late 2019. He faces two international arrest warrants issued in France on charges of misappropriation of corporate assets and money laundering as part of an organized gang.
