Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Davos: it’s shorthand for the World Economic Forum (WEF), the annual gathering of the world’s top politicians, business leaders, intellectuals and thinkers.

They all descend on Davos in the Swiss Alps – at 1,560 meters, the highest city in Europe – to discuss the most pressing issues facing the globe, with a special focus on health and the environment.

What’s this got to do with the Renault-Nissan Alliance? A great deal. This year the Alliance is present in Davos to tell the Forum more about our groundbreaking work in zero emission mobility.

For decades, electric vehicles have been recognised as a way of eliminating harmful tailpipe emissions, but as a practical form of transport they remained tantalisingly out of reach. Until now.

The Alliance has invested $5 billion and the first fruits of that investment – the Nissan LEAF – is now running around the streets of major cities in Japan, America and Europe.

But our work on zero emissions has gone far deeper than simply developing world-leading battery technology or delivering the first mass-produced family EV, however.

The Alliance has been working behind the scenes with governments, municipal authorities, utility and energy providers and technology suppliers to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to allow EVs to be charged away from the home or the office. We have developed partnerships and signed countless Memoranda of Understanding to promote the development and use of EVs and we are actively involved in advancing a zero emission future.

Nissan LEAF is just the start. It’s the first of eight EVs from the Alliance, a roster that includes three more from Nissan – including a luxury Infiniti EV – and no fewer than four from Renault: Fluence, Twizy, Zoe and the Kangoo ZE light commercial. By mid-2011 Renault will be the world’s first manufacturer to offer a complete range of EVs.

In Davos, delegates will be able to discover our display in a dedicated pavilion and will also be offered the chance to get a ride in Nissan LEAF and Renault Fluence Z.E.

Everyone else is invited to learn more about the Alliance EV programme. You can watch our video, stay on this blog and catch up with the latest news as it happens via Twitter.