Skip to main content

Carlos Ghosn to step down as Nissan CEO, assume oversight role

Carlos Ghosn
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Carlos Ghosn, who is credited with saving Nissan from bankruptcy, will step down from his position as CEO of the automaker effective April 1. He will be replaced by Hiroto Saikawa, who currently serves as co-CEO.

Ghosn, who joined Nissan in 1999 after starting out at Renault and became CEO of the Japanese automaker two years later, will retain his position as chairman of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, a statement released Thursday said. He will also remain CEO of Renault, as well as chairman of the French automaker, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, which the Alliance acquired last October. The change will allow Ghosn to take on more of an oversight role in the enlarged automotive conglomerate.

“As Nissan’s chairman, I will continue to supervise and guide the company, both independently and within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance,” Ghosn said. “This planned change will also allow me to devote more time and energy to managing strategic and operational evolution and expansion of the Alliance and ensuring that all its members benefit from the competitive advantages that its scale will deliver.”

The alliance between Renault and Nissan is based on an interconnected share structure, which is why both automakers retain independent corporate structures alongside a joint board and executive team. Nissan purchased a controlling stake in Mitsubishi last year, after the smaller Japanese automaker was weakened by a fuel-efficiency cheating scandal.

New Nissan CEO Saikawa, who has been with the automaker since 1977, was elevated to the position of co-CEO alongside Ghosn when the Mitsubishi acquisition was completed. Prior to that, he was Nissan’s chief competitive officer. Saikawa also served on Renault’s board from 2006 to 2016, and is chairman of the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association, a lobbying group.

Ghosn steps down just as Nissan completes its Power 88 mid-term business plan, leaving Saikawa to draw up the next plan. With the takeover of Mitsubishi, the Renault-Nissan Alliance became the world’s fourth-largest automaker. Ghosn has said the companies will focus on achieving greater economies of scale, including in the area of electric cars, where the Alliance currently leads in global sales.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The Apple Car was reportedly dubbed ‘the Bread Loaf’
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

A 2020 prototype of the so-called "Apple Car" was dubbed "the Bread Loaf" for its looks, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.

In a deep dive into the costly project, which Apple canceled last month, the report described the vehicle as “a white minivan with rounded sides, an all-glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires [that] was designed to comfortably seat four people and inspired by the classic flower-power Volkswagen microbus.”

Read more
The Rivian R2 SUV is up for preorder for only $45,000
Rivian R2

You can now get a Rivian without spending more than $70,000. After months of rumors and leaks, Rivian has finally taken the wraps off of the Rivian R2, its newest SUV, and the first to be built on the new Rivian R2 platform. The R2 is built to be Rivian's "Model 3 moment," or its attempt to build a car that's more accessible to the general public and thus could be sold at a much higher volume than the R1S or R1T ever were.

The R2 certainly cuts some corners to achieve the lower price point, but it actually still has a lot going for it -- especially as an electric SUV in this price range. It goes up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mustang Mach-E, and Kia EV6, but it's much more of an SUV than a crossover-sized car and should appeal to those who want something larger and with Rivian's design sensibility.

Read more
The R3 is Rivian’s surprise electric crossover
Rivian R3

Rivian didn't just announce the R2 platform at its latest launch event -- in a surprise twist, it also announced the R3 crossover. The R3 is Rivian's smallest car yet, offering a size much closer to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 than the SUVs that came before it.

Of course, not only is the Rivian R3 smaller, but presumably, it's also cheaper. Rivian didn't reveal actual pricing for the car, but it did say that it would be less than the R2's $45,000 price. Also, it may be some time before we start seeing the R3 on the road -- the car will follow the R2, which isn't set to be available until the first half of 2026.

Read more