Nissan needs partners and is open to Honda

Auto woes: A signage outside the Nissan Motor Co global headquarters in Yokohama. A tie-up with a traditional automaker could offer “some synergy” in terms of size, powertrain technology and battery investment, according to Espinosa. — Bloomberg

TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co’s incoming chief executive officer (CEO) is open to pursuing a partnership with Honda Motor Co, the Japanese peer his carmaker tried to combine with before talks broke down last month.

The auto industry’s push into intelligent cars “is going to require a lot of work and a lot of investment that probably will need some partner,” Ivan Espinosa, who assumes his new role on April 1, said on Wednesday.