According to Bloomberg, in order to survive in the rapidly developing global automotive industry, mainstream Japanese automobile manufacturers promise to cooperate in key technical fields. At present, Honda Motors and Nissan Motors are conducting merger negotiations, and the merger of the two companies may divide the Japanese automobile industry into two.
The Japan Automobile Industry Association (Japan Automobile ManufactuRers Association) stated in its 2035 route chart that in the next 10 years, Japanese auto manufacturers need to focus on concentrated resources in the fields of artificial intelligence and electric vehicles to cooperate with advanced technologies in other markets. contend.
Bloomberg reported that it is the critical moment of the Japanese automobile industry. In December last year, Honda Motors and Nissan Motors announced signing a memorandum of understanding and officially launched a merger negotiation. In the next six months, the two companies will discuss the merger of business into a holding company. It is expected to sign the final agreement in June 2025 and plan to be merged in August 2026. In addition, Mitsubishi Motors will also consider the possibility of joining the merger and will make a decision at the end of January 2025.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida told the media at the event of the Japanese Automobile Industry Association that the negotiations between Nissan and Honda are ongoing and said that “the profitability of restoring Nissan is the primary task.”
If Honda Motor and Nissan are successfully merged, the Japanese automobile industry will be divided into two major camps: one is the Honda Nissan camp, and the other is a camp consisting of Toyota Motor and partner Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki Motors. Nevertheless, Japanese auto manufacturers will still unite and strive to recapture the market share of food.
The Japanese Automobile Industry Association pointed out in a statement that “the Japanese automobile industry was once a global leader, but the instability of new technologies and geopolitics has weakened the competitive advantage of the Japanese automotive industry.”
Automotive manufacturers are facing survival pressure. Not only that, even in the Southeast Asian market, which is regarded by traditional Japanese brands as a base camp, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are occupying more and more market share.