The collaboration between Honda and Nissan reportedly runs deeper than the two car companies simply sharing ECUs. If a new report out of Japan holds up, they may also team up to build a new operating system for future software-defined vehicles, or SDVs, a project that would tie their engineering roadmaps together far more tightly than a parts deal alone.

 

Both Honda and Nissan are eagerly looking for ways to save money, to better withstand the threat posed by emerging rivals out of China. It’s also understood that the two are eager to ramp up standardization efforts to speed up the development of next-generation vehicles.