Thursday, January 6, 2011

Business Espionage: Renault's Short Circuit

A case of corporate espionage in electric vehicles at Renault SA, which has led to the suspension of three managers, was serious enough to "threaten strategic assets," the carmaker said Thursday...

The high-level suspensions at Renault highlight how seriously carmakers are taking the risks of corporate espionage, especially as they engage in a high-stakes race to develop technology that is different from traditional internal combustion engines. 

The case carries other business risks for Renault. A Nissan executive said he was angry that Renault had leaked information, especially as Nissan is the source of much of the technology for the lithium-ion batteries that are being developed for electric vehicles at the Renault-Nissan alliance. (more)
VW with leaky battery technology.