Founded in 1932, Nissan Motor Company has grown to be one of the largest car manufacturers in the world. This status was achieved as a result of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Signed in 1999, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is the first of its kind between a French and Japanese manufacturer. Carlos Ghosn took over as president and it was his NRP (Nissan Revival Plan) that saved Nissan and has been hailed by economists as one of the most spectacular corporate turnarounds in history. The turnaround was so much so that in 2007, global sales amounted to 6.1 million vehicles and accounted for 9.1% of the global market.
The first vehicle produced under the Alliance was the Nissan Primera in 2001, which shared the same chassis as the Renault Laguna. Since then many of Nissan’s vehicles have shared similar designs to Renault models and this sharing of technology has allowed both companies to grow. The Alliance has also facilitated the development of the M9R clean diesel engine which drastically reduces Nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions.
As a global corporate entity Nissan has invested heavily on improving the world in which we live. Take the Nissan Science Foundation for example. This centre has donated to over 2,100 projects ranging from environmental projects to safety innovations; in total Nissan has invested approximately 6.2 billion yen. Another example is the Nissan Green Program 2010. The program began in 2006, and is dedicated to providing a range of eco friendly vehicles by 2010. The other fundamental pledge of the program is to reduce the impact on the environment from the company’s manufacturing. At present Nissan has achieved a recycling rate of 95% with the ultimate goal of hitting 100%.