Highlights from Ghosn-Zetsche Frankfurt Media Briefing

FRANKFURT, Germany – Renault-Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn and Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche held a briefing on Sept. 11 at the Frankfurt Motor Show to update the media on the progress of their companies' over three-year strategic partnership.

Ghosn said that the partnership, which began in April 2010 to increase economies of scale for all three companies, has expanded to the point where "it is part of our corporate DNA."

Ghosn and Zetsche revealed that although originally designed around three "pillar projects" in Europe, the partnership has now expanded to embrace 10 significant global projects.

"Although our initial collaboration focused strongly on European projects, we are now focusing on synergies in all key markets," said Ghosn.

Zetsche added: "We have come much further than we originally intended, but we know each other better and better and have more confidence all the time."

One new project includes a feasibility study into jointly developing front-wheel drive vehicles for Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti. Ghosn declined to confirm speculation that the cars might be produced in Mexico saying: "We will update you when we have news on this."

Ghosn also told the media that he was pleased that other manufacturers such as Tesla and BMW are producing electric vehicles.

"All of this is helping the tipping point where, instead of people saying of the electric car 'maybe yes, maybe no,' they are going to discover that everyone is working on EVs and that this is going to become a major segment. When it does, the Alliance will still be the global leader," said Ghosn.

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