Nissan is considering a partnership with Honda in electric vehicles
According to information from the economic daily Nikkei, Nissan 7201.T has reportedly seriously considered establishing a strategic partnership with its counterpart Honda 7267.T in the field of electric vehicles. This potential partnership would involve mutual purchasing prospects and joint development efforts.
The main objective of this alliance would be to strengthen their position in the global market, particularly in the face of increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers in the emerging electric vehicle sector.
This move comes at a time when Nissan has undertaken a major restructuring of its historic alliance with Renault RENA.PA, making an external collaboration even more relevant and necessary to consolidate its position in the market.
Additionally, TV Tokyo reported on Wednesday that Nissan's board of directors had decided the previous day to actively explore the possibility of collaboration with Honda. Unfortunately, no additional details were provided on the specific terms of this partnership.
Official reactions from the companies involved have been rather cautious. A Nissan spokesperson preferred not to comment on TV Tokyo's information, while a representative from Honda simply stated that the company had nothing to say on the matter at this time.
Similarly, Renault could not be immediately contacted for comments on this potential collaboration.
Despite adjustments made in their historic alliance last year, introducing specialization by project and region, it is noteworthy that Renault and Nissan still maintain significant cooperation in the electric mobility sector, especially focused on the European market.
Future electric models from Nissan, such as the Qashqai, Leaf, and Juke, will be developed based on the alliance's common medium-sized platform. Additionally, the upcoming electric Micra will share the same architecture as the Renault 5 and will be manufactured at the Douai plant in northern France.
Furthermore, Nissan has demonstrated its commitment to electrification by pledging to invest up to 600 million euros in Ampère, Renault's new entity dedicated to electric and software, even though the initial public offering of this subsidiary was canceled earlier this year. This move reflects the determination of both partners to consolidate their leadership in the sustainable and electric mobility sector, despite structural adjustments and market fluctuations.
