Otodiva – Renault held talks this week with China's Li Auto and Xiaomi regarding electric vehicle and intelligent vehicle technology, the French automaker said on Friday, opening the door to potential collaborations in the field of technology with both companies.
“Our CEO Luca de Meo is engaged in important conversations with industry leaders, including our partners Geely and Dongfeng, major suppliers as well as new players such as founder Li Auto and Xiaomi Technology,” said Renault's Head of Procurement and Partnerships, Francois Provost, in a post on LinkedIn.
The talks at the Beijing Autoshow come amid increasingly tense relations between Europe and China, with the European Commission launching a series of investigations into Chinese exports. In between, they investigated whether China's rise in electric car sales on the continent was caused by unfair subsidies. China denies the claim and accuses Europe of protectionism.
De Meo said that Europe faces a difficult balancing act to protect its markets and learn from Chinese carmakers, which is much more advanced in EV development and its software.
Renault has partnered with China's Geely on thermal and hybrid powertrains, as well as collaborating with technology companies Google and Qualcomm on smart cockpits.
