Posted on Monday 21 April 2008
Just last week details of Nissan’s deal with Chrysler were announced, each producing a vehicle for the other to help fill out both companies’ product lines. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says more deals like it are in the works, with many different makers, though details on the coming model-swaps are still hazy.
Ghosn was quick to note that Chrysler isn’t destined to become the North American partner Nissan has been seeking, saying “I don’t think the opportunity is there today. We are not in a hurry.”
The comment matches up to Ghosn’s previous statements on the issue, which left little doubt that the model-trading deal was limited to those terms only. ““We have an OE deal. Period,” Ghosn said, “I don’t want you to think there’s more in this.”
The reluctance to partner or form a joint purchasing arrangement with Chrysler comes from the necessary entanglements that would follow - expensive, risky entanglements, especially with a company is a rebuilding phase such as Chrysler.
“Purchasing is a different story,” said Ghosn. “The day you purchase together, you’re going to have to change a lot on engineering, on platforms, on engines, on everything,”
As Nissan pursues more OEM deals and stays on the lookout for a North American manufacturing partner, its corporate partner Renault is expanding into China, where Nissan’s current partner, Dongfeng, will team up with the pair for local production, reports Automotive News.
“We know the partner, we know it’s coming,” Ghosn said. “The only question is when.”