(Reuters) – The head of French carmaker Renault could return to Japan in June for the second time in two months, a source close to the matter told Reuters, a sign of intensifying talks with partner Nissan on a planned carve-out of its electric vehicle business.
CEO Luca de Meo, could return to Japan for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance’s next Alliance Operating Board (AOB) meeting, the source said. The AOB is exceptionally taking place in Japan for the second time in a row to coincide with Nissan’s general meeting, the source added.
This would be de Meo’s second time in Japan in two months, after he recently spent several days with his Japanese partners.
Renault has left the door open for Nissan to join its plan to create an entity dedicated to electric vehicles, designed to improve its image as an EV company in the face of renewed competition.
Renault and its partners were pioneers in electric cars at the start of the previous decade, but they have since been eclipsed by pure player Tesla and the ambitions of Volkswagen.
(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by GV De Clercq)
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