PARIS (Reuters) – Renault (EPA:) held talks this week with China’s Li Auto (NASDAQ:) and Xiaomi (OTC:) on electric and smart vehicle technologies, the French automaker said Friday, opening the door to potential technology collaborations with the two companies.
KEY QUOTE
“Our CEO Luca de Meo has held important discussions with industry leaders, including our partners Geely and Dongfeng, key suppliers, as well as new players such as the founders of Li Auto and Xiaomi Technology,” the department head said in the release procurement and partnerships Renault François Provost. on LinkedIn.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
The Beijing auto show talks come amid increasingly tense relations between Europe and China, with the European Commission launching a series of investigations into Chinese exports.
Among them is an investigation into whether the rise in sales of Chinese electric vehicles on the continent is due to unfair subsidies. China disputes this claim and accuses Europe of protectionism.
CONTEXT
De Meo said Europe faces a difficult balancing act to protect its market and learn from Chinese car makers, which are far ahead in developing electric vehicles and their software.
Renault already partners with China’s Geely on thermal and hybrid powertrains, and is also collaborating with technology companies Google (NASDAQ:) and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:) on smart cockpits.