Latest news with #ToshihiroMibe
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda eager to collaborate with Nissan, Mitsubishi
Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Company has confirmed it is eager to step up its collaboration with Nissan Motor on a broad range of projects globally, despite the collapse of merger talks between the two companies earlier this year. A merger between Honda and Nissan would have brought significant cost-saving synergies, from sharing research and development costs, supply chains, production and sales networks, and new product development, at a time when they are facing an unprecedented surge in global competition from Chinese automakers. The two companies failed to agree on the terms of the merger, with Honda expecting to become the majority shareholder in a merged company, which Nissan was unable to accept. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Great Rates and Award-Winning Service The Insurance Savings You Expect Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You Honda's market capitalisation, currently at just under JPY 8 trillion (US$ 54 billion), dwarfs Nissan's JPY 1.14 trillion. Honda, which also makes consumer products and motorcycles, produced 3.7 million vehicles in 2024 - 20% more than Nissan's 3.1 million units. In the first five months of 2025, Honda reported a 9% drop in global vehicle output to 1.45 million units, while Nissan reported a 13% decline to 1.19 million units – in both cases driven lower mainly by plunging sales in China. The companies have so far struggled to keep up with the strong, Chinese-led growth in the global battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment. Maximising global synergies while retaining independence Honda and Nissan, along with the latter's Alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors, are keen to maximise global synergies as independent companies – as part of a looser alliance also involving other companies. At the company's annual shareholders' meeting in June, Honda's CEO Toshihiro Mibe confirmed the automaker is still 'eager' to collaborate with Nissan and with its alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors where possible. But he ruled out the possibility of renewed efforts to merge with Nissan, at least 'for the time being." Honda and Nissan have long been collaborating well before their merger talks became public last year. The have worked together on a wide range of projects including the production of mini vehicles and light commercial vehicles, and the development of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid powertrain systems, and autonomous driving technologies. Nissan recently revealed it is currently considering supplying pickup trucks to Honda from its US plant in Canton, Mississippi, for Honda to sell in the US market. This would help both companies reduce the impact of the new US import tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump, as well as improve capacity utilisation at the Nissan plant. Nissan has already agreed to produce a rebadged version of its Rogue SUV in the US for Mitsubishi Motors, with sales scheduled to start later this year, as well as its next generation Leaf battery electric vehicle (BEV) from the second half of 2026. Honda and Nissan are discussing extending their US collaboration to other market segments in the US, as well as in other global regions. The two companies are also considering collaborating in the development of a new basic software platform for advanced vehicle controls, as they prepare to launch software-defined vehicles (SDVs) in the second half of the decade. Honda had previously indicated that it planned to launch battery electric vehicle (BEV) models equipped with its own SDV software from 2026. The development and operation of SDVs requires huge amounts of data, so maximizing economies of scale by cost-sharing is seen as key to competing in this emerging segment of the market. Chinese automakers and Tesla are seen as leading the way in this emerging segment, while Toyota Motor is understood to be considering sharing its SDV software with Mazda. Mibe summed up Honda's position as he told reporters at the shareholders' meeting: 'We want to secure a leading competitive edge in the industry by maximising the merits brought on by the collaboration." "Honda eager to collaborate with Nissan, Mitsubishi" was originally created and published by Investment Monitor, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Miami Herald
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Nissan has a genius plan to make money from auto tariffs
Nissan was not quite ready to become a subsidiary at the start of the year. On February 13, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe announced that the two Japanese carmakers would not consummate their merger agreement, which would have created the third-largest carmaker in the world by sales. Related: Toyota and Honda play a giant role in US-Japan trade negotiations Apparently, at the last minute, Honda proposed to divert from its original intention to one where "Honda would be the parent company and Nissan the subsidiary through a share exchange," a condition that broke down talks. Nissan and Honda (HMC) announced their intent to merge in December. Still, a month earlier, Nissan execs told the Financial Times that the automaker had "12 to 14 months" to survive if circumstances didn't improve. In May, Nissan announced it will be laying off 20,000 workers, about 15% of its workforce, including the 9,000 it announced in 2024 would be laid off through March 2028. Nissan is also closing seven of its 17 global factories. The moves are all part of a recovery plan to reduce costs by $3.4 billion. But instead of reducing costs, Nissan's latest move raises money by using the current tariff environment to its advantage. While President Donald Trump's administration has been in close contact with the auto industry throughout the process, the 25% auto tariffs he imposed in April have had long-lasting repercussions, as intended. Trump declared Liberation Day on April 2, 2025, but the auto industry, particularly in Japan, had been preparing for this eventuality for months. "We will be looking at how to absorb short-term shocks and what concrete measures we can take to deal with these shocks, as well as how to deal with them in an all-Japan manner," said Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Chairman Masanori Katayama. Additionally, Katayama said the group discussed its strategies to absorb and mitigate potential tariffs with the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry officials. Nissan is reportedly negotiating a creative strategy to earn money while also helping a fellow Japanese automaker. Related: Nissan makes shocking move to battle tariffs Nissan is in talks to supply cars to Honda in the U.S., using the unused manufacturing capacity at its Canton plant in Mississippi. The company is considering building Honda pickup trucks at the Canton plant, where it currently builds models like its Frontier pickup. Nissan said in a statement viewed by Reuters that it would continue to work with Honda but would not speculate on any future plans. While Trump has pushed back his negotiations by another month, it appears that the U.S. and Japan are still far apart in negotiations. Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's lead trade negotiator, said Tuesday that negotiations must include auto industry concessions. Akazawa said he held a 40-minute phone call with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, where "we are trying to agree on a package of measures." According to Reuters, those measures include expanded trade, non-tariff barriers, and cooperation on key economic security issues. However, the biggest issue on the table is Japan's auto sector. "There's no point striking a deal with the U.S. without an agreement on automobile tariffs," Akazawa said. "The two countries must garner trust through sincere dialogue, and reach common ground step by step. Through such a process, my job as negotiator is to agree on a full package as soon as possible." While General Motors still has the highest market share at 17% and Ford ranks third with a 13% market share, foreign models from Asia round out the top five, according to Cox Automotive data. Toyota ranks second with 15% U.S. market share, while Korean brand Hyundai ranks fourth with 11%. Toyota's fellow Japanese brand, Honda, is fifth in the market, with 9%. Related: President's latest interview gives US automakers much-needed boost The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Auto Car
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Meet Honda's BABY hot hatch!
Honda has shown a new concept car hinting at a city-focused EV at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Named the Super EV Concept, it is an A-segment hatchback to rival the Hyundai Inster, Fiat 500e and upcoming Renault Twingo, with styling that draws on the previous Honda E supermini. Technical details remain thin on the ground, but Honda said it is intended to show how a small, affordable EV can be fun to drive. It has already been tested in the UK as part of a broader international roll-out. Honda has also used the event to showcase the radical 0 Series SUV concept in Europe for the first time, as well as the Civic Type R Ultimate Edition. The new Prelude coupé is running up the Goodwood hillclimb. Any production version of the Super EV would likely represent the entry point to Honda's future EV line-up, sitting opposite the upmarket 0 Series range. The Japanese brand plans to launch seven new EVs in the coming years, with these using a new platform, new batteries and new motor technologies, in an effective reset of its approach to electrification compared with the old E and current e:Ny1. 'As society is starting to move from the early stage to the widespread adoption stage, the time has come to invest in our EV strategy,' Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe told Autocar last year. However, Honda is also going big on hybridisation, with 13 new models due globally by 2030 in a bid to bridge the gap to mass-adoption of battery-electric cars. These will use what the brand has claimed to be the most efficient combustion-engined powertrains yet.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda's Flagship Electric SUV For America Is Already Dead
Honda's Flagship Electric SUV For America Is Already Dead originally appeared on Autoblog. In May, Honda announced that it would be scaling back its EV investment plans, partly because of an unstable international trade environment and also due to changing emissions regulations. This step away from a heavy EV commitment has now resulted in the scrapping of at least one specific model, that being a previously planned large electric SUV. As per Nikkei Asia, this model - likely a three-row SUV that would have rivaled the likes of the Kia EV9 - will be scrapped due to lessening EV demand in the United States. Honda's next generation of EVs won't fall away completely, of course. While the large SUV meant for a 2027 release is gone, the brand will still move ahead with electric models like a mid-size SUV and flagship sedan. While Honda knows how important SUVs are in the United States, procurement costs for especially big models are much higher. EV incentives are also expected to fall away under the Trump administration, further hindering Honda's progress in the EV space. Even after Trump's current term ends, Honda believes EVs will still take a while to see increased demand. 'The Trump administration will remain in power for four years, but that doesn't mean that EV demand will bounce back immediately," said Toshihiro Mibe, Honda CEO, back in May. "I think it will be pushed back by about five to six years.'Honda has lowered its EV investment plans substantially through 2030. Initially, this number was 10 trillion yen ($69 billion), but it is now sitting at 7 trillion yen, partially due to the large SUV being canceled. The midsize electric SUV that's still set to go into production was previewed by the 0 series concepts to start the year, and it's expected to feature Level 3 autonomous driving capability. While many automakers reel in their EV growth plans, hybrids are going in the opposite direction. Honda will launch 13 models from 2027, with targeted sales of 2.2 million hybrid cars by 2030. Honda already enjoys high demand for hybrid models like the CR-V and Civic. Over the coming years, we wouldn't be surprised to see Honda turn to hybrid powertrains exclusively for models like the Accord. Toyota has already made the switch to hybrid-only power for the Camry, and the RAV4 is set to follow for the 2026 model year. While a three-row Honda EV is now seemingly out of the question, we expect to see at least one three-row hybrid, which will give Honda a more efficient alternative to the current Flagship Electric SUV For America Is Already Dead first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 7, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Honda's Flagship Electric SUV For America Is Already Dead
In May, Honda announced that it would be scaling back its EV investment plans, partly because of an unstable international trade environment and also due to changing emissions regulations. This step away from a heavy EV commitment has now resulted in the scrapping of at least one specific model, that being a previously planned large electric SUV. As per Nikkei Asia, this model - likely a three-row SUV that would have rivaled the likes of the Kia EV9 - will be scrapped due to lessening EV demand in the United States. Honda's next generation of EVs won't fall away completely, of course. While the large SUV meant for a 2027 release is gone, the brand will still move ahead with electric models like a mid-size SUV and flagship sedan. While Honda knows how important SUVs are in the United States, procurement costs for especially big models are much higher. EV incentives are also expected to fall away under the Trump administration, further hindering Honda's progress in the EV space. Even after Trump's current term ends, Honda believes EVs will still take a while to see increased demand. "The Trump administration will remain in power for four years, but that doesn't mean that EV demand will bounce back immediately," said Toshihiro Mibe, Honda CEO, back in May. "I think it will be pushed back by about five to six years." Related: Princeton Reports that Trump's 'Beautiful Bill' Threatens to Decimate EV Growth by 2030 Honda has lowered its EV investment plans substantially through 2030. Initially, this number was 10 trillion yen ($69 billion), but it is now sitting at 7 trillion yen, partially due to the large SUV being canceled. The midsize electric SUV that's still set to go into production was previewed by the 0 series concepts to start the year, and it's expected to feature Level 3 autonomous driving capability. While many automakers reel in their EV growth plans, hybrids are going in the opposite direction. Honda will launch 13 models from 2027, with targeted sales of 2.2 million hybrid cars by 2030. Honda already enjoys high demand for hybrid models like the CR-V and Civic. Over the coming years, we wouldn't be surprised to see Honda turn to hybrid powertrains exclusively for models like the Accord. Toyota has already made the switch to hybrid-only power for the Camry, and the RAV4 is set to follow for the 2026 model year. While a three-row Honda EV is now seemingly out of the question, we expect to see at least one three-row hybrid, which will give Honda a more efficient alternative to the current Pilot. Related: EV vs Hybrid vs Gas: Which Saves More Money Over 10 Years? Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
