Nissan, Honda to jointly explore future automobile technologies

Japanese car makers Nissan Motor Co and Honda Motor Co have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the feasibility of a strategic partnership in the areas of vehicle electrification and the use of artificial intelligence.

The partnership will focus on ways to accelerate the move towards a cleaner, carbon neutral mobility and attaining zero fatality goal by eliminating road accidents.

This would require advances in environmental, electrification and software technologies. Nissan and Honda will look at possibilities of pooling resources to strengthen their collaborative efforts.

The two companies will look for the right automotive software platforms, EV components as also related products to decide the scope and feasibility of such collaboration.

Makoto Uchida, president and CEO of Nissan said the MoU is based on the common challenges that both companies face and a genuine interest to move forward and find solutions for sustainable growth.

Toshihiro Mibe, Honda director, president and representative executive officer, said the feasibility study will look at the synergies of the technology platforms and the available knowledge base before embarking on the hunt for new technologies that will drive future mobility

As Japan’s second- and third-largest carmakers behind Toyota, Nissan and Honda have to reinvent themselves to stay relevant in a fast-evolving field of automobile technologies.

Japanese car makers and Honda and Nissan in particular face the challenge posed by low-cost Chinese electric vehicles and their expanding footprint in the Japanese market.

Market leader Toyota, however is living on the strong sales of its hybrid vehicles that gives it more time to catch up with battery-powered EV rivals.