Japan to court Tesla on Nissan investment in exchange for US factories

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Following the collapse of the negotiations with rival Honda, a high-level Japanese group included in a former prime minister has planned to invest in Nissan, the Tesla’s Tesler car maker of Elon Mask.

The new proposal, led by Hero Mizuno, a former member of the Tesla Board, is supported by former Premier Joshiide Suuga and his former Hiroto Izumi, according to three people with direct knowledge of the move. Several board members of Nisan are aware of the initiative.

The group will become optimistic Tesla strategic investors as they believe that the world’s largest pure electric vehicle makers are interested in gaining the plants of Nisan in the United States, according to the people. Factories will help increase domestic production in response to Donald Trump Tariff threatThe

The plan to approach Tesla comes after Nisan Has gone away from Honda proposes $ 58 billion dollars, fearing that Japan’s third largest car maker could fall into the foreigner, the Taiwanese iPhone Assembly Foxcon, staff and private equity groups orbit the group.

Talks with Honda began after Nisan’s partner approached Renalt last year about the purchase of some part of the Foxcon Japanese car maker. After the breakdown of the discussion this month, Foxcon Confirmed Its interest in achieving Nissan shares is as a way to expand its EV manufacturing business.

In 2021, Suga, who stood as Prime Minister, still continued as an active personality in Japanese politics, as a member of the lower house of Japan. He started his political life in Yokohama, where Nissan is based.

This proposal imagines a consortium of investors, as Tesla is the largest backer, but it also includes the possibility of a minority investment by Foxkon to prevent the entire texover by Apple supplier.

Nissan and Izumi refused to comment. Mizuno, Suga, Tesla and Kasturi did not immediately respond to the request to make any comment.

In recent weeks, Nissan began its own search for strategic partners in the technology industry, according to two other people, according to two other people known on Tesla and Apple as an ideal goal. In November, it has turned on a Emergency change plan It has included 9,000 job loss due to quarterly damage.

Tesla is one of the most valuable companies in the world, including the market capital of about $ 1.1tn. ICally, it did not invest in car companies and focus on his $ 36 billion cost for cash in autonomous driving and robotics.

However it wants to increase production to offset US President Donald Trump’s impact in the United States ThreatThe The group combines all the vehicles sold locally in the United States, but some of its material sources from Mexico and other regions of the world.

Nissan has two assembly plants in Tennessee and Mississippi, which has a combined annual capacity of about 1 million vehicles, but it has only produced 525,000 units in 2024. As part of its restructuring, the company has announced a plan to reduce global production capacity by 20 percent so that the flag sale has announced plans to reduce 20 percent to address. Last week, it said it was planned to cut the shift at two Plants in the United States.

Nissan as the main growth area for its sale and profit is not easily accepted by the sale of US tree to any opponent.

After Foxcon’s interest in Nisan in recent months, officials of Japan’s economy, trade and industrial ministry ministry were deeply concerned about the political influence and view of his national security screening process, which is very close to China.

Japan welcomed the investment from Taiwan to the big semiconductor and allowed Renault to buy Nissan and Foxcon sharply, because according to Japanese government officials, it would have been difficult to block the agreement justified.

After its reorganization of the coalition in 2021, Renalt still wants to sell a large 36 percent owned by a high premium in the Japanese group.

In an interview on Thursday, its chief executive Luca de Mayo said that any proposal was required to reflect the price created by a 25 -year -old partnership.

“I just hope that the Nissan Management Team has found a way to do it better than work so far,” he said. “I am giving them all the support they need.”

Stephen Morris in San Francisco, Joe Miller of Washington and Ian Johnston in Paris