Nissan Motor and Honda Motor have signed a joint development agreement to standardize key electronic control units and software for their next generation of software-defined vehicles, deepening their technology collaboration as automakers face rising development costs and intensifying competition in vehicle software.
The companies will jointly develop multiple electronic control units (ECUs) that form the core computing architecture of future vehicles, along with an in-vehicle operating system, key middleware components and vehicle-control software.
The resulting electrical and electronic architecture, known as E/E architecture, is planned for deployment in next-generation Nissan and Honda software-defined vehicles beginning in fiscal 2029.
Nissan and Honda Target Common Vehicle Architecture
Under the agreement, Nissan and Honda will establish common specifications for several core ECUs used within their next-generation vehicle architecture.
The work will include high-performance central computers powered by systems-on-chip, or SoCs, as well as zone ECUs, which manage electronic functions across different areas of a vehicle.
The companies will also collaborate on the software running on those systems, including the operating system, middleware and vehicle-control software.
Software-defined vehicles increasingly rely on centralized computing architectures that allow automakers to manage vehicle functions through software and introduce new capabilities and updates throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle.
Software Becomes Key Area of Automotive Competition
Nissan and Honda said the accelerating pace of technological development has increased the importance of improving research and development efficiency, particularly as vehicles incorporate more advanced software, electrification and intelligent systems.
By standardizing foundational hardware and software, the Japanese automakers aim to combine engineering resources, shorten development cycles and lower costs while generating greater economies of scale.
The agreement represents an expansion of the companies’ existing strategic collaboration, under which Nissan and Honda have been exploring areas where joint development could improve their competitiveness.
Software has emerged as one of the most important areas of that relationship as automakers invest heavily in computing platforms capable of supporting increasingly connected, automated and electrified vehicles.
First Vehicles Planned From Fiscal 2029
The common architecture is expected to begin appearing in both Nissan and Honda vehicles from fiscal 2029 onward, giving the companies several years to develop and integrate the new computing and software platform.
The agreement does not mean that Nissan and Honda vehicles will become identical. Instead, it standardizes underlying technologies that can be shared while allowing each automaker to develop its own vehicles, features and customer experiences on top of the common foundation.
The companies said they will continue exploring additional areas of collaboration while maintaining their respective strengths, with broader objectives including vehicle electrification, carbon neutrality and technologies aimed at reducing traffic fatalities.
