The report indicates that Honda is contemplating the supply of hybrid vehicles to Nissan as part of this initiative, although it does not specify the source of this information.
A merger between Honda, the second-largest automotive manufacturer in Japan, and Nissan, the third-largest, would result in the formation of the world's third-largest automotive group by sales, trailing only Toyota and Volkswagen, with an annual production of 7.4 million vehicles.
The two companies established a strategic partnership in March to collaborate on electric vehicle development; however, Nissan has encountered financial and strategic challenges in recent months.
A spokesperson for Honda stated, "Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors are currently working to combine our strengths and explore potential avenues for collaboration, but no decisions have been made yet," in response to inquiries about the report.
Nissan refrained from commenting, noting that the details in the report were not based on any official company announcement. Nissan holds the largest share in Mitsubishi Motors.
According to Kyodo, Honda may utilize Nissan's manufacturing facility in the UK, as it currently operates only engine and motorcycle plants in Europe.
This development occurs amid concerns regarding how the policies of president-elect Donald Trump might impact manufacturing, particularly his commitments to protectionist trade measures, as mentioned in the report.