Honda e Nissan I am in advanced negotiations for standardize electronic control units (ECU) destined for the next generation of software-defined vehicles (SDV), with the purpose of reduce development and procurement costsJapanese media report that Mitsubishi Motors, a subsidiary of Nissan, also intends to join the agreement as a supplier of shared components.
Honda and Nissan to reach agreement by summer
The two car manufacturers are reportedly defining the technical specifications and they aim to reach an agreement by the summer, to install common parts on vehicles as early as 2029. The ECUs represent the heart of the new Sdv models, capable of updating the software remotely and integrating advanced functions such as autonomous driving. The components require a high number of semiconductors and a high-end electronic architecture, with significant development costs for each manufacturer.
Honda and Nissan reach agreement to combat heavy financial pressure
Cooperation is part of the collaboration announced in August 2024, and survived the failure of merger negotiations, subsequently discontinued at the beginning of 2025, which would have given birth to the third largest automotive group in the world by volume. Faced with theacceleration of Chinese and US rivals in the Sdv segment, sources report, The two Japanese manufacturers are aiming to share technological platforms to regain competitiveness and speed up the launch of new models.Both houses are going through a phase of heavy financial pressureHonda posted a loss of 424 billion yen (about 2,3 billion euros) in the fiscal year ended March 2026, its first loss since its listing on the stock exchange, while Nissan reported a loss of 533 billion yen (2,9 billion euros), the second consecutive significant loss. Both manufacturers are suffering from difficulties related, among other things, to their respective strategies in the electric vehicle sector.
