Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will move to jointly develop an operating system (OS) and an onboard computer to be installed in next-generation cars.
According to a report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 30th, the two companies have agreed to develop a new OS and an electronic control unit (ECU) based on Nissan technology and plan to announce it on the 31st.
For cars to be launched in 2029, the two companies plan to apply an integrated ECU and OS to make them software-defined vehicles (SDVs) whose functions can be enhanced through software updates.
It has been about two and a half years since Honda and Nissan began reviewing SDV cooperation in March 2024. The two companies also held talks on a management integration but halted negotiations in February last year.
With reports that Mitsubishi, in which Nissan holds a partial equity stake, is also set to consider adopting the jointly developed technology, expectations are rising that the collaboration could accelerate SDV development in Japan's auto industry.
As the number of cars equipped with the joint OS and ECU increases, expense efficiency rises, and securing more data can strengthen development competitiveness. Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi sold about 7.3 million vehicles worldwide last year.