Renault has reactivated talks with Taiwanese iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn regarding its stake in Nissan following the collapse of merger talks between the Japanese carmaker and its rival Honda.

Renault’s move to launch its own search for new investors came on the back of concerns that it would be left with depressed shares in Nissan, with the Japanese group lacking a new partner, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The search will be expansive with approaches to be made to technology groups worldwide including Apple, they added. 

Renault has been reducing its stake in Nissan following a restructuring of the carmakers’ 25-year alliance in 2023. At present, it holds a 36 per cent stake in Nissan, including a remaining 18.7 per cent held in a French trust that it wants to offload.