Autoblog

Officially Official: Renault-Nissan and Daimler announce alliance

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:54:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault, Electric, Diesel

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and Daimler AG chairman Dieter Zetsche sign the agreement

At a news conference in Brussels, Belgium this morning, Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan alliance officially announced that the three automakers would collaborate on future products and that each would exchange shares in the other companies. The deal has been rumored for months, and Daimler has been looking for a partner to help spread the costs of small car development for years.

Under the new agreement, Daimler will hold a 3.1-percent stake in Renault and Nissan and the existing alliance partners will hold an identical stake in the German company. The partners will develop a combined platform that will be used as the basis for the next generations of the Renault Twingo and Smart cars, including a new four-seater. These new models will launch in 2013 and the current Smart factory in France will continue building the two-seat version. The new four-seater, along with the Twingo, will be built at a Renault factory in Slovenia. All three vehicles will be available from launch in gas, diesel and electric drive variants.

The automakers will also share powertrains for other models. Renault-Nissan will provide small gas and diesel engines to Daimler for use in its smaller cars, including presumably the next generation A, B and perhaps even C-Class Mercedes-Benz models. Going the other way, Daimler will provide some of its engines to Nissan for use in Infiniti models. The partners will also collaborate on light commercial vehicles, with Renault providing a new entry-level van to be sold as a Mercedes.

[Sources: Renault, Daimler]

Continue reading Officially Official: Renault-Nissan and Daimler announce alliance

Officially Official: Renault-Nissan and Daimler announce alliance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Frankfurt 2009: Smart + Tesla + Brabus = High Voltage

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Smart, Electric

Brabus High Voltage - Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to the Tailor Made concepts that Brabus trotted out for the Frankfurt Motor Show, the German tuning firm also showed off a new version of its electric Smart Fortwo called the Unlimited High Voltage. This new model is an updated version of the company's electric Smart ED concept and it features a lithium ion battery pack supplied by Tesla Motors, Daimler's electric vehicle partner.

The High Voltage's rear-mounted electric motor was also developed by Tesla and offers up 82 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, which Brabus says is sufficient to push the little electric runabout to 60 mph in under 10 seconds. Additional interesting touches include aerodynamic wheels with clear plexiglass covers and wider side skirts to improve airflow. Inside, white leather seats with yellow stitching join a console-mounted monitor that displays the remaining state of charge.

The HV's single most intriguing bit of tech, though, would have to be the sound generator. This little unit will reportedly allow the diminutive electric machine to sound like a honkin' V8-powered racecar... should the owner feel so inclined. Check out the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Brabus Smart High Voltage

Frankfurt 2009: Smart + Tesla + Brabus = High Voltage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tesla working with Daimler for electric smarts?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Smart, Rumormill

Chalk this one firmly in the rumormill category, but Johnathan Bodily over at Street Import Online is reporting that he's seen what appears to be an electric smart fortwo at Tesla's facility in San Carlos plugged into a Tesla-branded charging station. What's more, this particular smart differed from other fortwos in that it lacked a tail pipe. We know that Daimler has been running second-generation smart ed's (with lithium ion batteries from an unknown source) around various locations for a little while, and that Tesla has stated that it has signed a few deals to supply batteries to other companies for their electric vehicle projects. Putting this final piece of the puzzle together, it appears we have enough circumstantial evidence to conclude that the Silicon Valley company is provided the batteries to Daimler for its new electric smart cars.

Hopefully, this collaboration will bear fruit in the form of both electric smart cars in America and provide Tesla Motors with some of the working capital it needs to continue forward with its Model S electric sedan project. We contacted Tesla for an official response, and as expected got a definitive "no comment." Next question, is Tesla providing the battery packs for the MINI E? Any camera wielding readers who happen to be in the in the San Carlos, CA area might want to cruise past Tesla's office and see if they can snap a picture of any cars plugged in outside the front door. If you do, drop us a tip and we'll tell you how to send us your photos.

[Source: Street Import Online]

Tesla working with Daimler for electric smarts? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments