Nissan and Honda to co-develop SDVs, EV platforms, batteries and e-axles

Nissan Motor and Honda Motor have announced that they have agreed to carry out joint research in fundamental technologies in the area of platforms for next-generation software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

Both companies are promoting R&D and investment in various technologies to promote the spread and evolution of EVs, especially SDVs, which are the scope of study in the fields of intelligence and electrification. Going forward, Nissan and Honda will continue to study ways to create further synergies between the two companies and work toward the speedy implementation of specific measures.

Nissan and Honda are to collaborate on a next-generation SDV platform, conducting joint research on fundamental technologies. They aim to complete basic research in a year and, based on the results, consider the possibility of mass production development.

On the battery front, the two Japanese carmakers will consider the scope of cooperation from a short-term and medium- to long-term perspective. This includes sharing specifications and mutual supply. Bringing together the battery technologies and assets of both companies will enable offering a wide range of battery options, from high-output to low-cost models, as well as cost reduction effects through investment diversification and risk-hedging, and deliver the advantage of volume.

The two companies have reached a basic agreement to commonise the specifications of their battery cell modules for EVs from a medium- to long-term perspective, with the aim of enabling the batteries they plan to procure to be usable in vehicles from both companies. Honda and Nissan will study the supply of lithium-ion batteries for EVs manufactured by L-H Battery Company, Inc., a joint venture between Honda and LG Energy Solution, to Nissan in North America after 2028.

Also, the two companies have reached a basic agreement to commonise the specifications of their respective e-Axles, over the medium to long term, to be used in the next-generation EVs of both companies. The agreed first step is to share motors and inverters, the core of the e-Axle.