Honda and Nissan may merge to form the world¡¯s No. 3 auto group, achieving the scale needed to go up against foreign competition and make massive investments into advanced electric vehicle technologies.

¡°I think this move reflects the current industry trend where automakers need to scale up to prepare for competition that involves autonomous driving and EVs,¡± said Atsushi Osanai, a professor at Waseda Business School.

According to press reports Wednesday morning, the two Japanese carmakers are in discussions to consolidate under a holding company. The reports also said that Mitsubishi Motors, which has been working closely with Nissan since 2016, might join the grouping.