A new rumor from the automotive industry has been spreading like wildfire since last weekend. This time, it’s about Nissan. The economic situation at the Japanese manufacturer is so precarious that a savior is urgently needed. And who’s going to fix it? Allegedly Tesla! Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But let’s check the facts.
Nissan and Honda: This Won’t Work! Is Tesla Stepping In?
A few weeks ago, it was announced that Nissan and Honda were looking into a merger. That would have been a real mega-merger. A Japanese car giant could have rolled up the field again! But fiddlesticks, the talks collapsed. Now, Nissan is all alone and pretty much at a loss, while the real problems remain.
And that’s where Tesla might come in. The US electric car pioneer is set to join Nissan, not in the form of a complete takeover, but as a strategic partner. According to a report in the Financial Times, a few high-ranking people in Japan are said to have already made plans to make Tesla’s entry into Nissan palatable. Some well-known names are reportedly involved. Former Tesla board members, ex-prime ministers, and their advisors. It is said that they have already put their heads together to convince Tesla.
The elaborate plan: Nissan is to help out with its factories in the USA. The Japanese think that Tesla could really go for it so that production in the USA can be expanded. Possible punitive tariffs, which could burden Tesla in the future, also play a role in these considerations.
However, Tesla’s boss Elon Musk has already made it clear that he is not particularly keen on existing factories. “The Tesla factory is the product,” he wrote on X. So it remains to be seen whether the plan so boldly drawn up in Japan can actually be implemented.
Chinese Manufacturers Are Gaining More Power
Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that Nissan urgently needs help. After much mistrust and bad blood, Renault can no longer be counted on as a partner in Japan. Nissan’s sales are in the doldrums, and too many factories are underutilized, which is an additional burden on the business.
Then there are the many outdated models and weak business in the USA and China. Chinese manufacturers such as BYD and Geely are increasingly overtaking Nissan. The once-successful Japanese carmakers are simply lagging behind in more and more markets.
What can Nissan do now? Perhaps a collaboration with the contract manufacturer Foxconn would be beneficial. Foxconn has already signaled its interest in participating. The outcome? Completely open!
