Renault, Nissan to Drop Common Alliance Purchasing Organization

Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. are letting go of their common purchasing organization in favor of a new, project-by-project set-up, a sign the carmakers are growing further apart after striking a broader deal to rebalance their troubled alliance. By the end of the year, the alliance’s common purchasing organization — viewed as one of the most successful elements of what otherwise turned out to be a fraught relationship — will evolve into distinct teams focused on specific projects, Renault said. To fix the alliance, De Meo worked with Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida to identify a series of common projects that could rekindle the relationship, notably in Europe, Latin America, and India. Renault earlier this year agreed to lower its stake in Nissan to help smooth over frictions that emerged after the 2018 toppling of former alliance chief Carlos Ghosn.