Your Automotive News

Rivals Honda and Nissan Form Unlikely Partnership

Rivals Honda and Nissan Form Unlikely Partnership

Whether drivers are looking for a 2024 Honda Civic SI for sale now or are excited about the future of EVs within these companies, they should be excited. Honda and Nissan plan to collaborate on essential EV components and more.

The Two Japanese Automakers Plan to Collaborate on EVs

Honda and Nissan are both facing a problem. They’re strapped for time and need to speed up the design and production of EVs to remain competitive. The good news is that they’ve come up with a collaborative solution.

To be clear, drivers who buy a 2024 Honda Civic SI for sale will still get a Honda, whether they buy now or in several years. The proposed partnership will involve collaboration on producing specific key components and AI for automotive software platforms.

Why This Partnership Matters

According to Nissan’s CEO, Makoto Uchida, the field of EV tech is competitive. Uchida describes emerging competitors as “very aggressive and making inroads at incredible speed.” He believes, along with Honda’s key stakeholders, that a traditional approach won’t help.

A partnership between the former rivals will help both companies develop economies of scale. Honda and Nissan will be better able to compete with rivals like Tesla and BYD.

Of course, this proposed partnership could benefit drivers, as well. Honda and Nissan fans will get access to better EV tech sooner as a result of the collaboration.

That’s not to say that the 2024 Honda Civic SI for sale today is not deeply impressive. However, the companies could develop a more significant range of vehicles if they can work together to produce parts and improve the required AI automotive systems.

No Clear Picture of Scope

So far, Honda and Nissan have signed a non-binding MoU, short for a memorandum of understanding. The document represents an agreement to look at areas of potential collaboration, but it does not determine the scope of the partnership.

Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, has indicated an openness to collaboration in Japan and abroad. Uchida also told reporters that Nissan and Honda were considering collaboration with Nissan’s existing partners should the opportunity arise.

Currently, Nissan partners with Renault in Europe, though the companies reduced the scope of their alliance, and Renault is now signing agreements with other partners. Nissan also collaborates with Mitsubishi Motors.

Meeting Ambitious Goals

Honda has ambitious goals for the next two decades. The company plans to convert 100% of its sales to EV and fuel cell vehicles by 2040. The 2024 Honda Civic SI for sale today will soon be in good company.

Mibe indicated that the automakers will explore how to use collaborative design and production measures to cut costs through greater production levels. Neither company has agreed, as of now, to a full partnership involving a capital tie-up, but there’s a possibility of it in the future.

Currently, Honda’s leaders know that to be in a good position in 2030, they have to make a decision now about how to move forward. By then, the two companies will have had six years of working together on EVs, which is plenty of time to make some serious changes.

 

Exit mobile version