Nissan and Honda to standardise core vehicle

Nissan Motor and Honda Motor have signed an agreement to jointly develop and standardise electronic control units (ECUs) and software for their next-generation software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The companies plan to introduce the jointly developed electrical and electronic architecture in their respective SDVs from fiscal year 2029 onwards.

The collaboration follows detailed discussions on opportunities for joint work in software development. The companies identified SDV-related software as a key area for cooperation. They cited its role in vehicle intelligence and electrification, as well as the need to shorten development cycles and use investment more efficiently.

Scope of the agreement

The agreement covers common specifications for several core ECUs. This includes high-performance computers based on systems-on-chip technology and zone ECUs responsible for managing different areas of a vehicle. It also includes the in-vehicle operating system, selected middleware, and vehicle control software.

The partners said the standardisation programme is intended to combine their engineering resources and reduce duplication in development. They stated: "By standardising these foundational technologies, Nissan and Honda aim to leverage their combined engineering expertise and development resources to improve efficiency, accelerate innovation, and enhance competitiveness through reduced development costs and greater economies of scale."

Broader strategic partnership

The software agreement forms part of a broader strategic partnership between Nissan and Honda. The two companies are continuing to examine potential cooperation in areas linked to carbon neutrality and the goal of reducing traffic fatalities involving their vehicles. They said they would continue assessing ways to build on their individual strengths and develop further areas of collaboration.

Plant-floor network implications

For automotive manufacturing, this move signals a significant shift towards common foundational software across different brands. Standardising core ECUs and the operating system could simplify the plant-floor network integration for future vehicle assembly. It may reduce the complexity of programming and validating different software stacks for models from the two automakers.

The report notes that the Nissan-Honda agreement comes as another member of the wider Nissan alliance, Mitsubishi Motors, plans to return to the US pickup market through its partnership with Nissan. Mitsubishi outlined this plan as part of its Momentum 2030 strategy for the US, which includes changes to its product range and retail operations. The proposed pickup would reintroduce the brand to a segment where it currently has no US offering.