It finally might be happening: A quarter century after Nissan’s bailout by Renault, six years after the shock arrest of savior-turned-fugitive Carlos Ghosn and five years after it was first proposed, the troubled Japanese automaker might find a permanent ally in the form of Honda.
An agreement for the two carmakers to seek a merger could come as early as Monday — a Christmas gift that’s not a moment too soon. There are lots of problems with the proposed combination, but it’s the deal that’s available. The alternatives look a lot less pretty.
Regardless of what you might have read, Japan’s auto industry isn’t collapsing: Toyota has been the world’s largest carmaker for the last four years running and its decision to stick with hybrids while rivals rushed into electric vehicles looks increasingly smart. That’s especially true in the U.S., where the incoming Trump administration is reportedly preparing to cut support for EVs and block cars and components from China.
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