--- title: "Honda and Nissan Officially Announce Plans To Merge After August 2026" date: "2024-12-23" modified: "2024-12-23" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/honda-and-nissan-could-be-one-automaker-by-august-2026" categories: - "Honda News" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Nissan News" tags: - "honda" - "Nissan" --- # Honda and Nissan Officially Announce Plans To Merge After August 2026 ![Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi executives at press conference.]() *\Nissan, Honda\* It's official: [Honda]() and [Nissan]() are negotiating a merger that would make them the third largest automaker in the world, behind only Toyota and Volkswagen. This partnership actually began in March, when the two Japanese automakers agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for electric vehicle development. Now, they've signed another MOU with the goal of fully joining companies. [We first caught wind of this news last week](), thanks to a story from Japanese business publication *Nikkei*. With both companies formally acknowledging the negotiations, we now have a timeline. Honda and Nissan hope to iron out all the details of their merger by June of the coming year, however, the two parties don't anticipate the union clearing all the regulatory hurdles and taking effect until August 2026. "Today marks a pivotal moment as we begin discussions on business integration that has the potential to shape our future," said [Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida](). "If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands. Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone." There aren't yet any specific details of share ownership or transfers, nor is there word of how the companies will cooperate. Those are expected to come in time. However, both brands are floating the idea of standardizing vehicle platforms and powertrains, splitting R&D costs, and streamlining their supply chains, [which we gained some insight into over the weekend](). ![]() ![]() "Honda and Nissan are two companies with distinctive strengths," said Honda Director and Representative Executive Officer Toshihiro Mibe. "We are still at the stage of starting our review, and we have not decided on a business integration yet, but in order to find a direction for the possibility of business integration by the end of January 2025, we strive to be the one and only leading company that creates new mobility value through chemical reaction that can only be driven through synthesis of the two teams." There are a few more players in this story, though. Both Nissan and Honda signed a separate MOU with Mitsubishi, so it can decide whether it wants to be included in this plan or not, as Nissan is Mitsubishi's majority shareholder. Things get a little messier, though, when you consider Renault. The Renault Group currently holds about 36% of Nissan due to their longstanding alliance that has slowly been unwound over the last several years. "Renault Group acknowledges the announcements made today by Nissan and Honda, which are still at an early stage," [said Renault in a recent statement.]() "As the main shareholder of Nissan, Renault Group will consider all options based on the best interest of the Group and its stakeholders. Renault Group continues to execute its strategy and to roll-out projects that create value for the Group, including projects already launched within the Alliance." One of the main reasons for this merger seems to be electric vehicle development, specifically for the Chinese market, where [Japanese car sales are down](). Joining forces will allow Honda and Nissan to pool their resources, split development costs, and ideally offer more competitive, affordable EVs in China, the world's biggest EV market. It could also spare Nissan from a potential hostile takeover by tech manufacturing giant Foxconn, [which remains a possibility if today's planned merger falls through](). Of course, what we really want to know is how this could affect a future NSX or [GT-R]() revival. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()