Fiat Chrysler has proposed a $35 billion merger with Renault to create the world’s third-biggest carmaker as manufacturers scramble for scale to tackle an expensive shift to electrification and autonomous driving.
The transaction would be structured as 50-50 ownership through a Dutch holding company, Fiat said. Renault shareholders, including the French government, would get an implied premium of about 10%. In a statement, Renault’s board said it would study what it called a “friendly” proposal.