Wei Wei
According to Nikkei Asia, Japanese automotive giants Honda and Nissan are in talks to establish a holding company that would oversee both automakers, with plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for this new entity as soon as possible. At the same time, Honda and Nissan are considering including Mitsubishi Motors in this new holding company.
Currently, Nissan holds a 24% stake in Mitsubishi Motors, making it the largest shareholder. Reuters also reports that it remains unclear whether the creation of the new holding company is intended to lead to a full-fledged alliance between the two companies, but they have indeed begun merger negotiations. As of December 2024, Honda has a market value of JPY 5.95 trillion (approximately USD 38.8 billion), while Nissan’s market value is JPY 1.17 trillion (approximately USD 7.6 billion). If the merger goes through, it would become the largest deal in the industry since the 2021 merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot-Citroën.
In fact, since March of this year, the two automakers have strengthened their cooperation. They have agreed to explore strategic partnerships in electric vehicles (EVs) and other areas, as well as to explore various possibilities for future collaboration, with the aim of sharing more resources in the face of intense global competition. In August, they further deepened their ties, agreeing to collaborate on batteries, axles, and other technologies. Analysts at the time pointed out that their goal is to catch up with Chinese automakers, who have already taken the lead in the EV sector, while Japanese companies have lost their edge by focusing on hybrid vehicles. Honda and Nissan are the second and third-largest automakers in Japan, behind Toyota. However, their market share in key regions has been steadily declining, with stagnant demand in Europe and the United States adding to the pressures they face.
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