Renault chief executive Luca de Meo has jetted into Tokyo for a weekend of talks with Nissan boss Makoto Uchida aimed at breaking a deadlock over intellectual property and potentially paving the way for a historic restructuring of the carmakers’ alliance within weeks.
The visit from De Meo is expected to kick a month of negotiations between the carmakers that will examine the possibility of Renault reducing its stake in Nissan from 43 per cent to 15 per cent, according to people familiar with the matter.
The alliance, which was first struck in 1999 to foster collaboration between the two companies, has managed to hold together despite long-running tensions. But as the car industry shifts inexorably towards electric vehicles, the pressure on Renault and Nissan to wring greater benefits from the alliance is building.