Nissan, Mitsubishi Extend Partnership For Next-Gen Minicars, Including EV Model

You’re probably aware that Nissan and Mitsubishi have a minicar joint venture in Japan which has been producing kei cars for both manufacturers since 2013.

The two partners are apparently happy with their collaboration, as they announced that their NMKV joint venture will continue for years to come with the next generation of current minicar models. Nissan Motor, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and NMKV will soon sign a memorandum of understanding.

The companies said they aim to develop “more competitive products by optimizing resource allocation and their respective roles and responsibilities.”

As a result, Nissan will be more deeply involved in development operations, such as design development and testing. In addition to its product planning and project development roles, NMKV will add a new department to enhance collaboration with engineering and manufacturing functions. Finally, vehicle production is planned to continue at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima Plant in Japan.

Nissan and Mitsubishi established NMKV in June 2011 with the aim of specializing in planning and development of minicars. Their jointly-developed minicars, the Nissan Dayz and the Mitsubishi eK Wagon, were launched in June 2013, followed by the launch of the Nissan Dayz Roox and the Mitsubishi eK Space in February 2014 (both pictured below).

By the end of September 2015, the joint venture had reached total sales of 500,000 units. With the new agreement, Nissan and Mitsubishi aim to take the partnership to a higher level. The automakers are already planning and developing a minicar EV. The companies will announce vehicle details and launch timing of the EV and other next generation minicars at a later date.