Some of Nissan’s empty factories in the US might be turned into Honda factories that make cars. An article in Japan’s Nikkei newspaper says Nissan might be able to use some empty production space in the US to make trucks for Honda. The story said that Nissan’s plant in Canton, Mississippi, might be able to make a Honda pickup, but it didn’t give a source. Nissan would gain a lot from it since it has cut back on both current and planned US manufacturing facilities in an effort to stop the huge losses it has been experiencing over the past 18 months. The company had a net loss of $4.5 billion at the end of its most recent full fiscal year. We’ve heard something like this before. In January, when a full-scale Honda-Nissan merger was still in the works, both companies talked about how Honda could change Nissan’s body-on-frame systems to make bigger trucks for the US market. The only pickup the company makes for the US market right now is the Ridgeline, which has a single body. Nissan now makes the Frontier with a body-on-frame at its plant in Canton. Honda doesn’t have a model that is similar right now. Does this mean that Honda might switch the Ridgeline to a body-on-frame design in the future? Because there aren’t many sources and statistics, it’s a stretch, but it makes sense. By using a current platform and a U.S.-built (and therefore more tariff-proof) truck, Honda could move the Ridgeline away from its unibody design, which is being phased out in favor of a new version. This would save more money. Since we already know some things, let’s go one step further. In April, Christian Meunier from Nissan stated that the company would “figure out a way” to revive the Xterra. It all sounded like a perfect world, but what about the budget when Honda is added in? The company in question has a lot of money and a lot of experience making hybrid powertrains, which could make it possible for a midsize body-on-frame SUV to meet standards around the world.
