Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Finding and talking to people at the TED Global conference is not hard- we even carry on our giant name tags suggested topics for ‘ice-breaking’ conversations. Finding and talking to someone you really want to at a particular time is harder; a lot harder…

A sunny day always brightens me up- and this week in conference at the TED Global 2011 event in Edinburgh the Scottish weather has been kind enough that I have managed a sunny 20 minute walk to the venue twice in a row! This sunny start gives a kind of power- an optimism that helps kick start the day in the right way.

Solar power applied in a different way helps run a remarkable college in India where the incredible ingenuity of folk knowledge is collected and nurtured- The Barefoot College, indeed the only college in the world powered solely by solar power.

Inside the auditorium of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, delegates to TED Global 2011 grapple with concepts such as ‘Emerging Order’, ‘Living Systems’ and ‘Everyday Rebellions’. Philosophers, historians, chemists and performers recruited from the interlinked fields of Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) then brainstorm these key phrases gracefully into conversations and challenges- these will then continue to resonate within the relationships that we are all building within the TED universe.

Preparations for the Alliance participation in TEDGlobal 2011 conference in Edinburgh, UK are now complete and the critical things are all in place- the booth is set up (and our first visitors most impressed), Alliance video is looping on the screen, Nissan LEAF and Renault Twizy looking their best under the lights, and the most important element for a week long conference is assured: a reliable source of good strong coffee!

In preparation for the 2011 TEDGlobal conference- as conference sponsors- Alliance activities gather pace this weekend. We have come to Edinburgh to join what is one of the most prestigious conferences for thought-leaders and creative thinking.

Winning an award is always good news for a vehicle manufacturer. So does that mean that winning two important awards in the same year for the same car is twice as good? No, this year I think it's much more significant than that.

As we all know, the Nissan LEAF was voted European Car of the Year 2011 at the end of last year and this was followed, at the recent New York Motor Show, by the car being pronounced World Car of the Year.

The automotive group’s Mountain View facility will focus on vehicle IT, advanced engineering research, and technology recruitment.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – The Renault-Nissan Alliance will open a research office later this month in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Directly across from the Google campus and minutes from leading hardware and software companies, the offices in Mountain View will allow one of the world’s largest automotive groups to capitalize on the region’s world-class engineering talent and stay ahead of trends that are reshaping the way people interact with their cars.

The office will build staff organically to focus on specific projects and business developments as they emerge. Small, highly efficient teams will initially work on vehicle IT development, advanced engineering research and technology recruitment.

100% electric Nissan LEAF and Renault Fluence Z.E. pick up awards.

ROLLE (May 27, 2011) - The Renault-Nissan Alliance’s 100% electric vehicles have emerged in triumph after a tough series of tests and evaluations in the annual Challenge Bibendum rally (18-22 May) in Berlin, demonstrating the efficiency of the Alliance’s zero-emission technology.