Though it seems a sure thing for a short spell, the Honda-Nissan merger dominating headlines the past few weeks has been officially called off, with both companies admitting the key issue was a disagreement over how the deal would be structured, with Honda mostly interested in turning Nissan into more of a subsidiary and less of a partner. However, both Honda and Nissan noted future collaboration was still possible.
The two Japanese automakers released a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 23, 2024, announcing they were going ahead with a merger; it didn’t take long for some murkiness to cloud the waters, as what Nissan had understood would result in a joint holding company, where equal say was given to both parties, instead was altered to a parent-subsidiary dynamic, with Honda in charge.
There was also talk of a three-way collaboration between Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi, but that, too, has been given the kibosh; once again, though, all automakers involved are leaving the door open to work together “within the framework of a strategic partnership focused on the era of intelligent and electrified vehicles.”
Nissan is still on the lookout for a corporate partner, with the newest contender being tech giant Foxconn, which last week confirmed it is indeed interested in some sort of tie-up with Nissan, even if it has to buy a stake in the company to make it happen. Foxconn is largely known as the manufacturer of Apple’s iPhone devices, but has recently expanded into the electric-vehicle space, buying up an old Lordstown EV plant in Ohio.
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