Automaker Nissan expands research ties in China as part of bid to regain market share

Nissan Motor Co. is expanding its research ties with a leading Chinese university as it and other foreign car companies try to claw back market share in the important Chinese market. The Japanese automaker announced Sunday that it would launch joint research next year with Tsinghua University on reaching Generation Z and the social responsibility of automakers in battery recycling, charging stations and other electric vehicle-related issues. The major auto companies were caught flat-footed by a boom in electric vehicles in China that has given rise to new Chinese competitors that have gobbled up market share.