Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi team up and declare themselves ready to go straight after the threat from the Chinese car manufacturers.
Neither Honda, Nissan nor Mitsubishi will be one car brand from now on. And yet.
Because the Japanese car brands are ready to jointly spend money on the development of electric cars as a response to the rise of the Chinese brands.
The three Japanese brands have signed a so-called declaration of intent on the development of electric cars and software.
– Cooperation with partners is crucial in today's automotive industry, which is undergoing rapid changes due to technological innovations such as electrification and intelligence.
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– We believe that we can discover new opportunities in various areas through cooperation between the three companies, says Mitsubishi's managing director Takao Kato.
In separate press releases , Honda and Nissan have said they will collaborate on the development of future electric cars. Even if Nissan is actually already part of Renault.
The three Japanese car brands are not the first in the country's car industry to join forces. Mazda, Toyota and Subaru have already announced that they will spend money in a similar way.
However, in opposition to the Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi alliance, Mazda, Toyota and Subaru are betting on the development of new internal combustion engines. In a press conference, the three car brands said they believe in the survival of the internal combustion engine.
This means, among other things, that Mazda throws more money into the development of the Wankel engine. An engine that has otherwise not been used since the RX-8 went out of production in 2008. Almost not then.
For Mazda said in January 2023 that the Wankel engine made a comeback as a range extender in the MX-30 electric car.
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