Nissan¡¯s incoming CEO Ivan Espinosa is open to pursing a partnership with Honda, even after talks for a historic tie-up between the firms abruptly fell apart last month.
The auto industry¡¯s push into intelligent cars ¡°is going to require a lot of work and a lot of investment that probably will need some partner,¡± said Espinosa, who will assume his new role on April 1. ¡°I¡¯m open to Honda or other partners as long as these partners are helping us drive the vision of the business.¡±
Espinosa, who currently serves as Nissan¡¯s chief planning officer, takes the helm at a critical time for the company. The collapse of talks for an agreement to combine with Honda under a single holding company ¡ª a deal that would have created one of the world¡¯s biggest carmakers ¡ª has left the struggling manufacturer in need of a lifeline. Top of Espinosa¡¯s to-do list will be to seek out collaborations to develop electric vehicles and technologies, part of a push to refresh the aging product lineup that¡¯s behind the slump in sales.
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