Partnership’s aim is to develop a common EV powertrain and take on Chinese players.
Nissan is considering partnering with fellow Japanese automaker Honda to develop electric vehicles. The partnership could include joint procurement of components and development of EVs.
- Honda’s stance on partnership unclear
- EVs from either of the two a few years away from India launch
- Honda Elevate-based EV expected in two years
Given the ongoing global shift towards EVs, Nissan is considering adopting a common EV powertrain with Honda, with both automakers teaming up to purchase, design and develop a shared EV platform. The ultimate goal is to bring down EV costs, and go neck and neck against Chinese players including BYD, which benefits from in-house sourcing of components.
Discussions at Nissan are said to be in the early stage, while Honda’s stance on the partnership is still unclear.
Despite the growing demand of electric vehicles in India, Nissan and Honda are two of the only few major car manufacturers that are yet to enter the lucrative space. Honda had previously announced that it will transition its Indian business into a hub for electric vehicles with its project ‘ACE’. A Honda Elevate-based EV is also said to be a part of project ACE, with a launch expected about two years from now.
Nissan is also readying as many as four new models for India, along with a facelift for the Magnite SUV. The upcoming Nissan cars also include an entry-level hatchback based on the CMF-AEV platform. The affordable EV will take on the likes of MG Comet and Tata Tiago EV, but a launch timeline is yet to be ascertained.
Source: Carscoops via Nikkei
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