GM & Honda to found North America alliance
General Motors and Honda have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a North American automotive alliance. In addition to vehicle platforms (also for electric cars), this will involve cooperation in purchasing and research.
According to the two manufacturers, the scope of the planned alliance will include a range of vehicles to be sold under each company’s various brands and cooperation in areas such as purchasing and research and development. After “detailed preliminary talks”, the declaration of intent has now been signed for a more far-reaching cooperation.
Honda and GM plan to work together on a variety of segments in North America to share vehicle platforms, including electrified powertrain systems. Whether this will be exclusively in GM’s Ultium system or whether Honda’s alternative powertrains will also be included in the cooperation is not mentioned in the memorandum. The new announcement builds on the agreement signed between the companies in April to jointly develop two BEV models for Honda based on the GM platform.
Planning discussions are to begin immediately, with engineering work beginning in early 2021, Honda said. “Through this new alliance with GM, we can achieve substantial cost efficiencies in North America that will enable us to invest in future mobility technology, while maintaining our own distinct and competitive product offerings,” said Seiji Kuraishi, Executive Vice President of Honda Motor.
“This alliance will help both companies accelerate investment in future mobility innovation by freeing up additional resources. Given our strong track record of collaboration, the companies would realize significant synergies in the development of today’s vehicle portfolio,” added Mark Reuss, President of General Motors.
Concrete models or segments of the cooperation are not yet mentioned in the company’s identical press releases. Nor do the future partners provide any information on the expected savings potential or planned investments in the cooperation.
0 Comments