Honda Positioning Itself To Take Over Nissan

by TTAC News Staff

Published: August 7th, 2024

Image: Honda

Carlos Ghosn, former head of Nissan, has made bold claims regarding the newly formed Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi partnership.

In an interview with Automotive News, Ghosn suggests that Honda is positioning itself to take control of Nissan and Mitsubishi, calling it a "disguised takeover." He argues that Honda, being the largest of the three automakers, is in the dominant position within the alliance and will likely dictate the terms.

Ghosn criticized the new alliance, stating that Honda's influence will overshadow Nissan and Mitsubishi. He believes that Honda's involvement is a strategic move to gain control over the other two companies. Ghosn's comments come as Honda and Nissan have agreed to collaborate on batteries, electric motors, and software-defined vehicles. Additionally, Nissan holds a 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi, further complicating the dynamics within the alliance.

Carlos Ghosn

Ghosn, who served as CEO of Nissan from 2001 to 2017 and remained as chairman until his departure–and subsequent escape from Japan in a box–stated that a partnership with Honda was never considered during his tenure. He joined Nissan in 1999 when the Renault-Nissan alliance was formed, with Renault taking a significant stake in Nissan. Ghosn is known for his role in restructuring Renault and Nissan, earning the nickname "Le Cost Killer" for his aggressive cost-cutting measures.

Ghosn's career took a dramatic turn in November 2018 when he was arrested on charges of financial misconduct, including misuse of company funds and underreporting his salary. He fled Japan while under house arrest in December 2019, escaping to Lebanon, where he now resides. Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, allowing Ghosn to avoid prosecution.

This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.

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Varezhka on Aug 07, 2024
Mitsubishi: Runt of the Mitsubishi conglomerate. Still have fast access to a lot of the conglomerate’s battery, electronics, and aerospace technology and shares the same main bank as Honda. Maaaaybe? Nissan: Former Nissan/Ayukawa conglomerate, more of a looser ties now but also fairly close to the Mitsubishi conglomerate. Super cozy with the government (exhibit A: Carlos Ghosn arrest debacle). Lots and lots of production capacity. Engineering IP not so much since a lot of those were sold to fund the Leaf and Datsun venture under Ghosn, and most other now belongs to Renault. Run Away.

1 Reply
Billie Bobbie Norton on Aug 08, 2024
Ghosh is irrelevant. “He was going to retire a very wealthy man, but because he wanted more, what he’s going to be known for from now on is spiriting himself away from Japan by hiding in a box.”That says it all.

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