Automakers Nissan Motor and Renault plan to build a plant in France to produce batteries for electric vehicles by 2012.

The Japanese business daily Nikkei reported that the planned plant would have an annual capacity of enough batteries for around 60,000 cars.

As part of the plan to supply batteries for Renault’s electric vehicles, Nissan will invest around 50 billion yen ($550 million) to upgrade supply capacity in Japan and build the new plant.

Japan’s Nissan and France’s Renault have been working as partners since March 1999, with global sales amounting to 6 million vehicles in 2008 and representing 9.4 percent of the world market.

Recently the automakers also announced a partnership with the Development and Reform Commission of Guangdong province in China to promote zero-emission mobility. Guangdong is the second local government in China to partner with the Renault-Nissan alliance after the Wuhan municipal government.

Representatives from each organization inked a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles in the province.

The Renault-Nissan alliance, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, has signed more than 30 agreements worldwide with partners to launch its first electric vehicle starting 2010 in Japan, the United States and Europe, and in the Chinese market in 2011.





-   Katrice R. Jalbuena