- Nissan and Honda each have separate relationships with Dongfeng Motor, a Chinese language firm answerable 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 sequence automobiles are additionally made by Dongfeng. (Dongfeng Honda)
That is the Nissan N7. We’ve seen it earlier than a couple of occasions now; first in idea kind on the Beijing Present of 2024, then later that yr in production-intent kind by November. A number of days in the past, the Chinese language Ministry of Trade 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 superb sufficient, it doesn’t look like an enormous step in any path, and it doubtless can be a superb sedan to serve China’s model of Uber known as Didi.
There’s nothing essentially flawed with the N7, however it’s clearly not a really thrilling sedan. Furthermore, I can’t assist however suppose that this automobile received’t be lengthy for this world due to the Nissan-Honda merger. See, the N7 is developed partially by Dongfeng Motor, one among Nissan’s authentic companions from China’s 50/50 three way partnership scheme to get automakers to put money into China and assist its automobile business mature.
Dongfeng not solely builds Nissan fashions beneath contract, however additionally it is considerably concerned within the growth of the automobiles themselves, particularly within the EV period.
Usually, this wouldn’t be a problem. However one among Honda’s two three way partnership companions is additionally Dongfeng Motor. Like Nissan, Dongfeng is a part of Honda’s EV growth and manufacturing. Most lately, it’s began producing the China-only Honda Ye sequence of automobiles.
It looks like there are lots of fashions and growth 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 doubtlessly streamline growth prices between each lineups, however it appears like they’ve a complete different model in China the place they’ve spent plenty of cash creating, manufacturing and advertising competing lineups of automobiles that doubtless don’t have anything to do with one another. The place does Dongfeng fall beneath all these things?
Whereas at a Honda roundtable at this yr’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. In fact, we all know the state of affairs…however really, the discussions are between [only] Honda and Nissan. In the end, we should discuss it, however so there’s no conclusion over that,” stated Katsushi Inoue, Honda’s International Head of Electrification Enterprise Growth.
He stated that quickly, Honda may make a shared announcement about the way forward for the tie-ups, however as of that second they’d nothing so as to add.
From so many views, this mesh-up between Nissan and Honda feels so messy. As said earlier, Honda stated it needs to simplify growth and doubtlessly share EV prices with Nissan, however how will that work, precisely? Honda already has three joint ventures or shared firms (Dongfeng, Sony and Common Motors) that every one have EVs which can be unrelated to one another.
Dongfeng itself has a funds line of automobiles known as Venucia – lots of Venucia automobiles use elements from the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi elements bin. How on earth will Nissan fall in line? On the finish of the day, which merchandise will stay, and which received’t?
EV consumers 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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