Nissan is on the point of collapsing. After the Honda deal fell via, it appears like one other Japanese automaker is tossing it a lifeline. As Nissan struggles to remain afloat, Toyota is rising as a possible “backer” in a brand new tie-up.
Are Toyota and Nissan partnering?
“If we don’t take motion now, the scenario will solely worsen,” Nissan’s President, Ivan Espinosa, mentioned throughout a press convention on Could 13.
Going through falling gross sales, ballooning debt, and slumping earnings, Nissan launched a brand new restoration plan final week, “Re:Nissan.” The struggling automaker goals to chop prices by 250 billion yen to return to profitability by FY 2026.
As a part of its efforts to show the enterprise round, Nissan will lower 20,000 jobs by FY2027. It’s additionally abandoning plans to construct a brand new EV battery facility in Japan. Seven different crops might be closed, together with one in Thailand and two in Japan.
After its deliberate EV merger with Honda fell via in February, rumours surfaced that Nissan was scrambling to seek out one other accomplice.
In keeping with a brand new report from Japan’s MainiChi, a Toyota govt just lately reached out to Nissan a few potential partnership. The tie-up might contain Toyota appearing as Nissan’s “backer” to assist it whereas it restructures.
Nissan and Toyota each unveiled a wave of recent electrical autos set to roll out over the following few years. The upgraded Nissan LEAF EV will arrive within the US and Canada later this yr with extra vary, an NACS port, and a brand new crossover type. It will likely be one in every of ten new Nissan or Infiniti fashions to reach by 2027.
In Europe, Nissan will launch the next-gen LEAF later this yr, adopted by the brand new Micra EV and Qashqai electrical crossover. In 2026, the brand new Nissan Juke EV will be a part of the lineup.
In the meantime, Toyota’s upgraded bZ electrical SUV (previously the “bZ4X”) will arrive at US dealerships within the second half of 2025.
In 2026, the smaller C-HR electrical SUV and rugged bZ Woodland EV will observe. By the top of the yr, Europe will see three new Toyota electrical SUVs: the C-HR+, City Cruiser, and upgraded bZ4X.
Electrek’s Take
Toyota already has a stake in a number of Japanese automakers, together with Subaru (20%), Mazda (5.1%), Suzuki (4.6%), and Isuzu (5.9%), so backing Nissan wouldn’t come as a shock.
Espinosa mentioned Nissan was open to new partnerships. Nissan’s chief mentioned the corporate will proceed collaborating with others, together with Mitsubishi, which is able to use the upcoming LEAF as the premise for its new EV for North America.
Japanese carmakers have been notoriously gradual in shifting to all-electric autos, which is now costing them in key abroad markets like Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and others.
Chinese language EV leaders, like BYD, are shortly increasing abroad to drive progress this yr. Subsequent yr, it should launch its first kei automotive (see the primary spy photographs), or mini EV, which is already being referred to as “an enormous risk” to Japan.
Pooling assets and teaming up could also be one of the best (or solely) possibility at this level. Can Toyota assist Nissan flip issues round? Or will it’s too little, too late? Tell us your ideas within the feedback.
Verify again quickly for particulars. It is a growing story. We’ll preserve you up to date with the newest.
