Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi bets on spike in electric cars with 12 new models

PARIS – The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is gambling that mass-market drivers are going to pivot soon to electric cars, announcing plans Friday to produce 12 new electric models by 2022 and to make electric cars 30 percent of its overall output. The carmakers -- who collectively sold more vehicles than any other company in the world in the first half of this year -- also announced plans to make "robo-taxis," driverless public transport vehicles and autonomous cars aimed at middle-class consumers. The announcements are part of an overall strategic plan released Friday, aimed at taking advantage of the alliance's growing reach after taking in Mitsubishi Motors Corp. last year to consolidate its position and make electric and driverless cars more affordable. They also unveiled a new logo for the three-way alliance and renamed it Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. CEO Carlos Ghosn is betting that upcoming government restrictions on diesel and gasoline cars will push drivers to go electric instead. "We don't' know how much time it's going to take . . . Britain and France have decided to ban new diesel and gasoline car sales from 2040 and China is considering a similar move.