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Renault-Nissan reportedly partnering with Waymo on self-driving cars

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance will tie up with Alphabet Inc's Waymo to develop autonomous taxis and other services using self-driving vehicles, the Nikkei reported on Tuesday. Google's self-driving car company Waymo will work with the carmakers and announce a plan for the arrangement as early as this spring, the business daily reported. The partners are considering the joint development of unmanned taxis using Nissan vehicles and a system that handles reservation and payments, Nikkei said. A spokesman at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, Nick Twork, said, "This (Nikkei) story is based on rumors and speculation. We have nothing to announce." Waymo did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Last month, Nissan Motor Corp said its board remained committed to the carmaker's alliance with Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp, after directors met to discuss the ongoing investigation into former chairman Carlos Ghosn and ways to bolster governance. Among the companies developing autonomous driving technology, Waymo is considered to be far in the lead in terms of test-fleet miles driven. It operates hundreds of vehicles in 25 U.S. locations, and is already operating a taxi service with paying customers in Chandler, Ariz. Related Video:

GT-R driver walks away from terrifying dragstrip accident

With all-wheel drive, launch control and a dual-clutch transmission, the Nissan GT-R may be easier to manage than most supercars. But that doesn't mean that dragging one on a wet strip is a good idea.
Filmed at the Unlimited 500+ drag race in Moscow, Russia, this video depicts a pair of GT-Rs going head to head. But things didn't go quite as planned when the driver of one lost control of her twin-turbo supercar. We'll let the video below speak for itself, but thankfully it appears no one was hurt - an outcome that seems particularly remarkable in light of the fact that it appears that the driver was not wearing a fire suit or helmet.

Nissan's Carlos Ghosn reportedly arrested, to be fired for financial misconduct

TOKYO — Nissan Motor Co said it was ousting Chairman Carlos Ghosn for alleged financial misconduct and Japanese media reported he been arrested, a shocking fate for a leader hailed for rescuing the company from close to bankruptcy. The Japanese automaker said Ghosn's alleged misconduct included personal use of company money and under-reporting how much he had been paid. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissan's French partner Renault and one of the best-known figures in the global car industry, and his departure would raise question about the future of the alliance. Nissan said it launched an months-long investigation after a whistleblower tipped it off to wrongdoing by Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly. "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosn's compensation," Nissan said in a statement. It said CEO Hiroto Saikawa would propose that the Nissan board remove Ghosn and Kelly. Neither Ghosn nor Kelly could be reached for comment. Renault shares tumbled 11 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe. Nissan's German-listed securities plunged 10 percent. French President Emmanuel Macron said the government, the French carmaker's top shareholder, will be vigilant about Renault and its alliance with Nissan. Cost cutter Known as "Le Cost Killer," Ghosn is credited for reviving the Japanese automaker and has remained popular despite the massive job cuts that he brought and recent controversy over his lucrative pay package. Japanese media reported that Ghosn had reported around 10 billion yen worth of compensation as around 5 billion yen. Ousting Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about an alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. "The initial share price reaction shows how pivotal he is," Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said on Monday. The current alliance structure has long undervalued Nissan shares held indirectly by Renault investors, he added. "Ghosn is viewed as critical for value unlock." Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999.