- Nissan and Honda each have separate relationships with Dongfeng Motor, a Chinese language firm liable for producing some Honda and Nissan merchandise in China.
- The Nissan N7 is the manufacturing model of the primary of the 4 EV and PHEV ideas it unveiled in collaboration with Dongfeng Motor on the 2024 Beijing Auto Present.
- The Honda Ye collection vehicles are additionally made by Dongfeng. (Dongfeng Honda)
That is the Nissan N7. We’ve seen it earlier than a couple of instances now; first in idea type on the Beijing Present of 2024, then later that 12 months in production-intent type by November. Just a few days in the past, the Chinese language Ministry of Business and Data Expertise (MIIT) uncovered the ultimate manufacturing mannequin within the final step wanted for homologation on Chinese language roads.
The MIIT did expose some energy and dimensional particulars, it is going to be a single motor-only sedan producing both 214 horsepower or 268 horsepower. I imply, it’s wonderful sufficient, it doesn’t seem to be an enormous step in any course, and it seemingly can be a wonderful sedan to serve China’s model of Uber referred to as Didi.
There’s nothing essentially fallacious with the N7, however it’s clearly not a really thrilling sedan. Furthermore, I can’t assist however suppose that this automotive gained’t be lengthy for this world due to the Nissan-Honda merger. See, the N7 is developed partly by Dongfeng Motor, one in every of Nissan’s unique companions from China’s 50/50 three way partnership scheme to get automakers to put money into China and assist its automotive trade mature.
Dongfeng not solely builds Nissan fashions below contract, however it’s also considerably concerned within the improvement of the vehicles themselves, particularly within the EV period.
Usually, this wouldn’t be a problem. However one in every of Honda’s two three way partnership companions is additionally Dongfeng Motor. Like Nissan, Dongfeng is a part of Honda’s EV improvement and manufacturing. Most not too long ago, it’s began producing the China-only Honda Ye collection of vehicles.
It looks as if there are a variety of fashions and improvement chains to untangle right here. Not solely are each manufacturers intertwined with Dongfeng, however it’s not clear what merchandise would be the winner on the finish of the day. Honda has been adamant that it needs to share prices and probably streamline improvement prices between each lineups, however it seems like they’ve a complete different model in China the place they’ve spent a number of cash growing, manufacturing and advertising and marketing competing lineups of vehicles that seemingly don’t have anything to do with one another. The place does Dongfeng fall below all these items?
Whereas at a Honda roundtable at this 12 months’s CES, I requested what would come of the relationships each Honda and Nissan have with Dongfeng.
“Dongfeng Nissan and Dongfeng Honda are two totally different firms. After all, we all know the scenario…however truly, the discussions are between [only] Honda and Nissan. Ultimately, we should discuss it, however so there’s no conclusion over that,” mentioned Katsushi Inoue, Honda’s International Head of Electrification Enterprise Improvement.
He mentioned that quickly, Honda might make a shared announcement about the way forward for the tie-ups, however as of that second that they had nothing so as to add.
From so many views, this mesh-up between Nissan and Honda feels so messy. As acknowledged earlier, Honda mentioned it needs to simplify improvement and probably share EV prices with Nissan, however how will that work, precisely? Honda already has three joint ventures or shared firms (Dongfeng, Sony and Basic Motors) that every one have EVs which might be unrelated to one another.
Dongfeng itself has a finances line of vehicles referred to as Venucia – lots of Venucia vehicles use components from the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi components bin. How on earth will Nissan fall in line? On the finish of the day, which merchandise will stay, and which gained’t?
EV patrons throughout the globe will simply have to sit down again and watch what fashions make it, and which fall by the wayside.
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