Nissan is open to working with new partners after merger talks with HONDA were called off. According to Reuters in a report citing sources, this includes technology companies as Nissan wants to increase its strength in electric cars where Chinese brands are now ahead of the race. At the same time, they are also open to working with Foxconn which is the world's largest electronics manufacturer headquartered in Taiwan.
For context, Faxconn had previously approached France's Renault to buy a large stake in Nissan in December 2024. However, it stopped its interest after talks with Honda took place in the same year. With the talks likely to be canceled due to internal disputes that have further estranged the two parties. Faxconn is seen as having the potential to continue their interest. The manufacturer is also now drastically expanding into EV production and potentially offering Nissan a supply chain advantage.
Spokespeople for Nissan and Honda, however, declined to comment further on their discussions. Instead, they reiterated their previous statement that they aimed to finalize the direction of the merger by mid-February. Foxconn has also not commented further on the matter.
The internal dispute between Nissan and Honda occurred when the idea of making Nissan a subsidiary was opposed by the brand itself due to concerns that its autonomy could be challenged. As a result of this scenario, Nissan is planning to hold a board meeting that is likely to strongly reject Honda's proposal to buy shares and make it a subsidiary.