Mitsubishi-Nissan inks future vehicle development deal with Honda

Mitsubishi, and its alliance partner Nissan, have signed a memorandum of understanding with rival Japanese brand Honda for what its described as a discussion centring around the “framework for further intelligence and electrification of automobiles”.

Known details

While no details were provided as to how the partnership would impact on Nissan and Mitsubishi’s collaboration with Renault, the joint statement states that the partnership will involve “software development” and “collaboration in areas such as environmental technologies and electrification technologies”.

In a separate release, Nissan said the partnership will also involve the developing of a new platform for future vehicles called SDV or software-defined vehicles, sharing and supplying batteries for the next generation of electric vehicles, and investing in research and development “to promote the spread and evolution of EVs”.

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Additional research will go into autonomous driving, vehicle connectivity, artificial intelligence and share motors as per the advancing of so-called e-axles.

Announcing that its battery tech would leverage off Honda’s partnership with electronics giant LG, Nissan indicated that both internal combustion engine and electric propulsion “are being considered as vehicles for mutual complementation”.

Unsurprisingly, no details were provided as to when the first vehicle of the partnership would emerge, or under which brand.

Reactions

“With the models to be sold globally by Nissan and Honda, the two companies will consider supplementing models from a short-term to medium- to long-term perspective,” the Nissan statement read.

“For the short-term, Nissan and Honda reached a basic agreement on models and regions to be complemented by each company, and also agreed on the outline of a product review system to be jointly operated by both companies”.

As part of the joint statement, Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida said, “Through collaboration among the three companies, we expect the partnership to evolve into something that creates greater value, and to deliver unique products and services from each company that meet the diverse needs of customers.”

In his capacity as President of Honda, Toshihiro Mibe, remarked: “We expect that the combination of technologies and knowledge cultivated by Nissan and Honda, as well as the strength and experience of Mitsubishi Motors, will enable us to quickly resolve various issues related to electrification and intelligence on a global scale”.

Mitsubishi President and CEO Takao Kato concluded by the statement by saying, “Collaboration with partners is essential in today’s automotive industry. We believe that we can discover new possibilities in a variety of fields through collaboration among the three companies.”

Product roll-out unknown

For the time being, a timeline of product roll-out remains unknown, although speculation points to clearer details possibly emerging in 2025.

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