Discussion:
[Rumour] Nissan and Honda (and Mitsubishi) to "merge"
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BungleBob
2024-12-18 22:09:17 UTC
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Likely yet another case of bad reporting / attention-seeking headlines.
At best it is probably just a collaboration project for an EV platorm
(similar to the partnership for the Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ twins),
rather than an actual full company merger.


Honda And Nissan Hold Merger Talks
----------------------------------
Japanese automaker Nissan has been having a pretty rough time
in 2024, with sales floundering and its aging lineup looking
increasingly outdated compared with the competition. Honda
also hasn't had a phenomenal time of it, with the automaker
slow on the uptake of EVs and backtracking on a deal to
collaborate with General Motors on next-generation models.

These two automotive icons are now reportedly considering a
merger that would create a new automotive giant to turn around
their fortunes, reports Bloomberg. Talks, which could even
extend to Mitsubishi as well, have kicked off between the
Japanese brands with the automakers hoping that by pooling
their resources they'll be better prepared to tackle the
competition from rivals Toyota and the booming Chinese auto
industry:

Discussions are at an early stage and may not lead to
an agreement, the people said.

"Both players stand to gain from this merger," Vivek
Vaidya, senior vice president of mobility at Frost &
Sullivan, said. "The combined entity will be a
complete automaker."

A deal would effectively consolidate the Japanese auto
industry into two main camps: One controlled by Honda,
Nissan and Mitsubishi and another consisting of Toyota
group companies. It would also provide them with more
resources to compete with larger peers globally after
downsizing long-held partnerships with other carmakers.
Nissan has loosened ties with France's Renault SA and
Honda has backed away from General Motors Co.

If Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi were to merge, it would create
an automotive giant with a market value of $57 billion, reports
Bloomberg. In comparison, Toyota is valued at $276bn and Tesla
is valued at more than a trillion dollars.

The makeup of any potential merger remains to be seen, with
Honda and Nissan set to decide whether it could be a full
merger similar to the joining of Fiat-Chrysler and PSA to
create Stellantis, or if it could be something softer, as
Bloomberg added:

Honda is considering several options including a
merger, capital tie-up or the establishment of a
holding company, Executive Vice President Shinji
Aoyama said on Wednesday following reports
overnight of talks between the carmakers. Aoyama
declined to elaborate on when a potential
decision will be made.

The companies could make an announcement on
Dec. 23, TBS reported. Stock in Honda fell as
much as 3.4%.

Would you buy a Nissan Honda car in the future, or would you be
more inclined to shop at your local Honda Nissan? Whichever way
around the names are above the door, this is sure to be a big
shakeup in Japan's auto industry that could just save these two
companies.



<https://jalopnik.com/honda-and-nissan-in-merger-talks-to-compete-with-tesla-1851723699>
BungleBob
2024-12-23 21:54:21 UTC
Permalink
It looks like the "merger" is definitely happening (assuming it passes
governmental approval processes), but it's still unclear exactly what
it entails, whether it's a full corprate merger (Honsan? Nisda?) or
simply another partnership agreement (like Toyota 86 / Subarau BRZ or
Nissan's current partnership with Renault).


Honda, Nissan Plan To Merge In 2026
-----------------------------------
Honda and Nissan joining forces is really happening, folks.
The two Japanese automakers are looking to finalize their
merger agreement as soon as June of 2025, which is in about
six months if you haven't noticed. That quick turnaround
means the marriage could be finalized in 2026.

Their merger will be facilitated through the creation of a
holding company, and don't worry Honda fanboys: it'll be
headed by a president picked by Honda. That means you really
don't have to freak out that Nissan will sully your precious
little car company. From Bloomberg:

The presidents of Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motor
Corp. - Nissan's junior partner - were seen entering
and leaving Japan's transportation ministry on Monday
morning, likely to inform officials of their plans to
formally kick off merger talks.

[...]

Honda and Nissan are both facing significant
challenges, with the latter in dire financial straits
as a deluge of electric and hybrid vehicles from
competitors in China forces legacy brands to pool
resources.

Nissan is in greater need of a turnaround due to
cratering sales in the US and China, which have forced
it to slash jobs, cut production capacity and lower
annual profit outlook by 70%.

Talks were initially complicated by Taiwanese
manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which
reportedly expressed an interest in acquiring Nissan.
But the iPhone-maker known as Foxconn is pausing its
pursuit for now to see how talks between the two
Japanese companies unfold, a person familiar with the
matter said last week.

An alliance between Honda and Nissan - which could
also include Nissan's junior partner Mitsubishi Motors
- would effectively split Japan's automobile industry
down the middle, pitting the trio against Toyota Motor
Corp. and its partnerships with Mazda Motor Corp.,
Subaru Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp.

Honda and Nissan had already begun laying the
groundwork for a technical partnership earlier this
year, announcing plans with Mitsubishi Motors to
co-develop batteries, software and other EV
technologies.

If this deal really does go through, it'll create the world's
third-largest automaker by sales, according to CNBC. The two
companies would also combine for a value of nearly $54 billion,
though to be fair, Honda's market cap contributes about
$43 billion to that number.



<https://jalopnik.com/honda-and-nissan-to-merge-in-2026-creating-world-s-thi-1851727377>





Similar article at BBC News
<https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3ljvv93lo>

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