Despite the past failure of their proposed merger, which was aimed in part at catching up with Tesla and some Chinese competitors, Nissan and Honda have finalized an agreement to jointly develop electronic hardware and operating systems for software-defined vehicles expected to be introduced starting in 2029. This cooperation, announced on August 31, has been in development since 2024.
Under the agreement, the two Japanese automakers will jointly develop and standardize several electronic control units that will form the core of their future software-defined vehicles. They will also work on onboard operating systems and vehicle control software designed to operate these ECUs, the companies said.
The technology is expected to be deployed in vehicles from both automakers beginning in fiscal 2029, approximately two years later than originally planned.
(Photo: Nissan)

