It’s official: Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi will collaborate
Before this, we reported news that a trio from Japan – Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi – would be joining forces. Now, this matter has been confirmed. Official.
The Honda-Nissan Alliance announced last March is now expanded with the inclusion of Mitsubishi. They will come together to discuss the best ways to collaborate in building electric vehicles (EVs) and their components.
Takao Kato, Representative Executive Officer, President, and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, stated: “Nissan and Honda’s discussions on a possible partnership have progressed, and we have decided to participate in this framework.
“Collaboration with partners is essential in today’s automotive industry, which is undergoing rapid changes due to technological innovations such as electrification and intelligence. We believe that we can discover new possibilities in a variety of fields through collaboration among the three companies.”
In related developments, Nissan and Honda will pool funds for the development of software for autonomous driving technology, connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI).
This collaboration will also include the development of battery-powered and electric-driven axles with shared motors and inverters.
The expanded alliance makes sense given the rapid rise of EVs from China. Instead of working entirely on their own—a lengthy and costly endeavor—the three companies are joining forces to accelerate development and achieve economies of scale.
Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi must face increasingly tougher competition as electric cars from China are significantly cheaper and more diverse.
This is not the first time Japanese companies have joined forces this year. A few months ago, Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru also held a meeting to reaffirm their long-term commitment to combustion engines.
