- Target
- Collaboration between Japanese car manufacturers
- Challenges
On Nov. 4, Mitsubishi Corporation and Nissan Motor have agreed to form a joint venture to provide services related to autonomous driving and the use of electric vehicle batteries as accumulators, according to several media reports. The new company will be established in March 2025 and will be owned equally by both companies, the reports noted.
Target
In March, Mitsubishi Corporation and Nissan Motor announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation, which includes the two companies to jointly explore new businesses for next-generation mobility services, as well as services for energy-related applications for electric vehicles. It is understood that the two parties aim to work together to create a sustainable business model and will focus on autonomous driving tests, developing energy management systems, and fully utilizing renewable energy sources.
According to this latest news, the joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Nissan will not be officially established until March 2025, but it is not yet clear how the two sides will carry out their business, and Cartea will continue to pay attention.
Collaboration between Japanese car manufacturers
It is worth mentioning that in recent years, the cooperation between Japanese manufacturers has been very close. In the middle of last month, there are media reports that Toyota, Honda and Nissan, three automakers reached a cooperation strategy to jointly develop automotive software, the focus of the three car companies to promote the unity of the API standard, that is, all kinds of software and systems interface specification, covering the doors, windows open and close and wiper operation, and so on many aspects.
Earlier, in March, Nissan and Honda announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch comprehensive cooperation on electric vehicle business.
In May, the heads of Toyota, Mazda and Subaru pledged to continue investing in internal combustion engine technology and to help decarbonize it by combining it with electrification technology. In addition, in the area of electrification, Mazda, Suzuki, and Subaru all have partnerships with Toyota Motor to co-develop electric vehicles with the help of its technology.
Then in July, Mitsubishi Motors announced that it had joined the Honda-Nissan alliance, and the three companies plan to standardize the in-vehicle software that controls the cars; followed in August, Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation, and the three companies will work together in the pure electric vehicles and intelligence, and share the research and development costs in order to fight the competition from the Chinese car companies, and to accelerate the realization of carbon neutrality.
Challenges
At present, the source of sales for Japanese brands, including Toyota, still relies on fuel models, but with the weakening of the fuel vehicle market and the advent of the era of electrified vehicles, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the technological advantages and brand identity accumulated during the fuel vehicle era. In addition, along with the rapid development of electric vehicles and intelligent driving technology, Japanese automakers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and others are generally facing tremendous pressure to transform.
Japanese automakers are increasing cross-industry efforts and multi-party cooperation to enhance competitiveness with their U.S. and Chinese competitors.
