In 2019, then-Allianz boss Carlos Ghosn was arrested by Japanese police for financial misconduct. After three months of house arrest, Ghosn fled the country and the Japanese criminal justice system, which rarely delivers an acquittal.

What about Renault, Mitsubishi?

Last year, Nissan agreed to invest $663 million in Renault’s EV operations; At the same time, Renault gave up the majority of its shares in Nissan, reducing the share of each company owned by the other to 15 percent. That should lead to “a broader range of electric vehicle products and powertrains,” Uchida said at the time. However, it was apparently decided that this agreement was not enough to improve Nissan’s electric vehicle portfolio.

Mitsubishi, in turn, says it will monitor the situation and decide whether to join at a later date. Meanwhile, Renault said in a statement: “As the majority shareholder of Nissan, Renault Group will consider all options in the best interests of the group and its stakeholders. Renault Group continues to implement its strategy and introduce projects that create value within the Group, including those already launched within the Alliance.

Assuming nothing stands in the way of this special work, the deal will be completed by June next year and the new holding company for the two OEMs will be established by August 2026. Honda will assume leadership of the new company, due in large part to its larger market capitalization. But Mibe said any real gain from the merger would only be realized after 2030. It is hoped that shared development costs and greater purchasing scale will help reduce costs, but both companies will continue existing partnerships such as the one between Honda and GM as well.

We can expect more shared vehicle platforms between Honda and Nissan, as well as closer collaboration in the research and development phase. But there are also plans to optimize manufacturing, including facilities, as well as integrating supply chains and even sales financing to achieve cost savings and efficiencies.