Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi enter a strategic partnership

Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi enter a strategic partnership

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Strategic MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) within the automotive industry are a common and often beneficial endeavour. Famous collaborations include the partnership between Toyota and Suzuki, the cooperation between BMW and Land Rover, and the well-documented agreement between Volkswagen and Ford.


However, not all alliances achieve their intended success. A case in point is the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Nissan, which resulted in the now-defunct X-Class, a venture that didn’t quite meet expectations. But that’s a story for another time.


That said, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. are the latest manufacturers to announce their MoU with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation which will see the Japanese trio working together in various areas such as environmental technologies, electrification technologies, software development intelligence, and electrification.


The MoU builds on the existing alliance between Nissan and Honda that was signed on March 15 and seeks to further accelerate efforts towards carbon neutrality and zero traffic-accident fatalities.


According to the manufacturers, it’s important to combine the unique technologies and expertise of each company to create new value and improve efficiency. By joining the collaboration between Nissan and Honda, Mitsubishi Motors will bring additional insight and strengths.


"We are very pleased to welcome a new member to the strategic partnership between Honda and Nissan. Mitsubishi Motors has unique technologies and expertise and has been collaborating with Nissan as a partner. 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," says Makoto Uchida, Representative Executive Officer, President, and CEO of Nissan.


As for the existing MoU between Nissan and Honda, this partnership sees the two giant marques working together on two main aspects, such as intelligence, which includes smart features, autonomous driving, and connectivity. The second factor is electrification, where the two will jointly focus on EVs and related technologies.


In this case, Mitsubishi, as a new member, will bring its expertise in the technological field, enhanced synergies, and new business opportunities to enhance the partnership’s ability to develop smarter and more efficient vehicles.


"Nissan and Honda’s discussions on a possible partnership have progressed, and we have decided to participate in this framework. Collaboration with partners is essential in today's automotive industry, which is undergoing rapid changes due to technological innovations such as electrification and intelligence,” concluded Takao Kato, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO, of Mitsubishi Motors.


As mentioned earlier, such partnerships aren’t new, and it’s fascinating to see giant companies working together to reach, among other things, a carbon-neutral future. Despite remaining extreme rivals in the marketplace, this MoU promises to be exciting for the future of mobility. 

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