Honda and Nissan are expected to agree as soon as Monday to develop one operating system and one onboard computer for their vehicles.The shared tech is for models due about 2029.
Mibe and Espinosa split the engineering bill after a failed merger
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe and Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa walked away from a merger attempt.
A common operating system and a shared onboard computer let them split the engineering bill for the software-defined vehicle. Features are in code, which updates over the air, not baked into fixed hardware.
The target for fitting the joint system into new cars is 2029. Nissan is the weaker financially, and that makes sharing all the more sensible.
The maker of the Leaf EV and the Infiniti luxury line posted a loss for the April to June period following a full year in the red. It has eliminated jobs and brought Espinosa as the new chief to spearhead a turnaround, according to Cryptopolitan.
President Donald Trump‘s tariffs are squeezing Japan’s carmakers, and Nissan is feeling the pinch.
Nissan road-tests Wayves Level 2 tech in Ariya EVs in Tokyo
Nissan has begun public road trials in Tokyo with British startup Wayve.
According to Cryptopolitan, Nissan Ariya electric models have had Wayves “eyes on, hands off” Level 2 system installed ahead of a consumer launch Wayve is aiming for in 2027.
The car is responsible for the speed and steering. The driver has to be ready to take over. Nissan is also developing its own driver-assist features.
Nissan was one of the automakers to adopt Nvidia‘s DRIVE Hyperion self-driving platform, which was detailed at Nvidia’s GTC 2026 event. Honda was in a distinct group of manufacturers that used Nvidias industrial design tools.
Below that network of outside suppliers would be a shared Honda-Nissan computer, giving both a common base to plug into.