Renault Nissan Alliance Sold 6 Million Cars in 2009

While managing to stay one step ahead of the others in terms of preparing the way for the first wave of electric vehicles, the Renault Nissan alliance did not neglect their more current business either. Despite the economic recession in 2009, the alliance sold 6,085,058 units, meaning an overall drop of 6 percent over 2008.

Taken separately, Renault was the performer of the alliance, with a drop of only 3.1 percent compared to 2008, amounting to a total of 2,309,188 vehicles sold. The French carmaker gained 3.7 percent in market share, with 11 of its 15 biggest markets reporting gains.

In the home country, Renault managed to increase it sales by 7.3 percent, remaining France's best selling brand and now retaining a 23.5 percent market share. The group's performance was boosted by the strong rise of its Romanian brand, Dacia.

Nissan on the other hand lost 9.4 percent in sales, managing to find only 3,358,413 new owners for its vehicles. In the home country, Nissan sold 599,396 vehicles, down 11.6 percent compared to 2008.

China has now become the Japanese carmaker's second largest market, with its 755,518 units sold trailing closely behind the 770,103 vehicles who left dealerships in the US last year. In all, the Chinese market saw a 38.7 percent increase in sales, helping Nissan diminish the losses it suffered elsewhere.

With these somewhat positive full year results in mind, Renault Nissan is continuing to expand its Zero Emissions partnerships around the world, awaiting the launch of what will the the first mass produced EV in the world: the Leaf.