Report: Mitsubishi to Partner with Honda and Nissan
Mitsubishi and Nissan have been part of an alliance with Renault for years now, but the two are now reportedly considering teaming up with Honda as well. Nikkei Asia reported that Mitsubishi wants in on the existing partnership between Honda and Nissan, saying the trio would focus on “automotive software platforms, core components related to EVs, and complementary products.”
Nikkei Asia said that Mitsubishi has signed a non-disclosure agreement with Honda and Nissan. Their efforts would help all three in a global auto market increasingly dominated by Chinese exports. While the partners’ roles in the alliance and the eventual structure are not yet clear, all three benefit significantly from reduced costs and faster vehicle development.
Honda has expanded its efforts with other automakers in recent times, teaming up with Sony and General Motors on two independent EV ventures. The Sony-Honda Afeela hasn’t yet hit the streets, but the Honda Prologue has. It’s built on GM’s Ultium Platform and shares some components with the Chevrolet Blazer EV.
These types of partnerships will likely increase in frequency as time passes and EVs become more common. Developing new technologies is exceedingly costly, leading many automakers to lose money on every new EV sold. Several have also announced plans to back peddle on EV development and focus more heavily on hybrids and plug-in hybrids to meet the increasing demand for lower-cost electrified vehicles.
[Images: Mitsubishi]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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