Honda and Nissan are forging a partnership in the areas of electrification and software, and Mitsubishi is reportedly looking to get a piece of this emerging business.
Honda and Nissan first announced their partnership plans in March. At that time, the plans were in the feasibility study stage, exploring potential areas of collaboration and the synergies that could be generated between the two companies.
Last Sunday, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported that Mitsubishi would join Honda and Nissan in this alliance, working together to finalize the details of the collaboration. Specifically, Mitsubishi will focus on the standardization of onboard vehicle software systems, a crucial area for the development of the next generation of electric and connected cars.
According to the Nikkei report, this merger will create two dominant automotive groups in Japan, prepared to challenge Tesla and a growing list of Chinese electric vehicle brands. One of these groups will consist of Toyota and its associated brands, while the other will be composed of the alliance between Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi. Last year, these two groups collectively sold over 19 million vehicles, demonstrating their considerable influence in the global market.
Mitsubishi already has a close relationship with Nissan, being part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. This alliance has allowed the three companies to share platforms and electric vehicle technology, optimizing resources and reducing costs. Additionally, Nissan owns approximately 34% of Mitsubishi’s shares, further consolidating their bond.
On the other hand, Mitsubishi and Honda have also collaborated in the past. Recently, they explored a joint battery rental venture known as Altna, demonstrating their ability to work together on innovative and sustainable projects.
Japanese automakers have fallen behind some of their foreign rivals in the launch of electric vehicles. However, they are now accelerating their efforts to catch up. China’s leadership in the electric vehicle market has been a key factor, allowing the country to surpass Japan last year and become the world’s largest exporter of vehicles.
In another development, Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru also joined forces in May to develop a new generation of internal combustion engines, showing that innovation in the Japanese automotive sector encompasses both electrification and the improvement of traditional technologies.
