You may have heard the news that two of Japan's leading automakers are talking about joining forces to create the third-largest car company in the world. However, in many ways, Nissan and Honda make an unusual combination.
Nissan began its official corporate history in 1911, during the Meiji Emperor's days. Honda started after World War II, in the days of the U.S. military occupation of Japan.
Another difference is experience in the American auto market.
Nissan started selling cars in the U.S. the same year Hawaiʻi became a state in 1959. Until the mid-1980s they were sold under the brand name Datsun.
Honda's first U.S. models didn't go on sale until 1969 but 10 years later, the company became the first Japanese automaker to open an assembly plant in the U.S. Today, Honda has a dozen plants in the U.S. located in Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.
Nissan built its first U.S. assembly plant in 1983 and now has three in Tennessee and Mississippi.
On electric vehicles, Nissan was a leader with its all-electric Leaf in 2010 but was relatively slow to expand its reach.
Honda has more ambitious EV plans. A couple of years ago it announced a target of 30 electric models by 2030.
But both companies have fallen behind Chinese automakers in EV production, a large factor driving these two rivals together.
