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.
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The agreement covers common specifications for several core ECUs, including 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.
Nissan and Honda said the collaboration followed detailed discussions on opportunities to work together in software development.
They identified SDV-related software as a key area for cooperation because of its role in vehicle intelligence and electrification, as well as the need to shorten development cycles and use investment more efficiently.
The standardisation programme is intended to combine the companies’ engineering resources and reduce duplication in development.
The partners said: “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.”
The 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.
Nissan and Honda said they would continue assessing ways to build on their individual strengths and develop further areas of collaboration.
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 the 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.
