Виживання Mitsubishi в США може залежати від двох її конкурентів

Mitsubishi is weighing the idea of teaming up with Nissan and Honda to build its cars in the United States, a potential move that reflects just how swiftly the automotive industry is changing. At present, every Mitsubishi sold in the US comes from Japan, which means the brand faces tariffs that raise prices and restrict sales.Read: New Eclipse Cross EV Just Proves Mitsubishi Gave Up A Long Time AgoWhile the company is keeping some cards close to its chest, Mitsubishi president and chief executive Takao Kato did reveal that a decision on joint production could be made by next spring. Shared Factories or Shared Future?There’s no confirmation yet about which models might be involved or which factories could host them, but executives have previously suggested that Mitsubishi SUVs might roll off Nissan’s American production lines. During a recent interview with Nikkei Asia, Kato acknowledged that “it’s absolutely difficult to continue [the North American business] on our own. Mitsubishi sold 113,000 vehicles in the US during the 2024 fiscal year and remains a small player compared to Nissan and Honda. Importantly, a manufacturer deal with either, or both, wouldn’t just benefit Mitsubishi. Why Cooperation Makes SenseNissan has been struggling with a downturn in sales, and its plants in Mississippi and Tennessee are running below capacity. Honda, on the other hand, operates five factories across the US, but all are working near their limits. A shared venture could balance those extremes, helping each automaker find room to maneuver in an increasingly competitive market.The 15 percent tariffs put in place by the Trump administration, though lower than the 27.5 percent the US had initially planned, have dealt a major blow to Mitsubishi. As a manufacturer of affordable vehicles, it’s harder for it to swallow the added costs than some other companies and its North American business reported a loss during the April-September period.According to Nikkei Asia, the three Japanese automakers together hold a 15 percent share of the US market, edging out Toyota.Expanding Beyond ProductionIt’s not just in production where Mitsubishi would like to work with Nissan and Honda. Shortly after it was revealed that the latter two are looking to develop new vehicles in North America, Kato said Mitsubishi “would prefer if we’re able to cooperate in the US as well.” That’s already happening in practice, given that Nissan’s new Rogue Plug-in Hybrid is essentially a reworked Mitsubishi Outlander.Kato also confirmed that talks with both automakers are already underway on other fronts beyond the United States, signaling that this cooperative approach could extend well past joint manufacturing.