Honda and Nissan vehicle production declines in the first half

Honda Motor Co Ltd and Nissan Motor Co Ltd on Monday reported falling production rates during the first-half, though production ticked up in September.

Between the start of April and the end of September, Yokohama, Japan-based auto maker Nissan produced 1.4 million units, down 5.3% from 1.5 million a year earlier. Japanese production was down 13% on-year to 231,477 units from 307,101.

Nissan's total global sales for the first half decreased by 3.1% to 1.53 million units from 1.58 million, of which 1.35 million units were sold outside of Japan, down 0.9% from the previous year. Japanese sales decreased by 17% on-year, accounting for 74,515 units of the total.

In September alone, Nissan produced 270,993 units, up 0.5% on-year, though Japanese production fell 18% on-year to 47, 975 units. Global sales were 3.6% lower in September at 278,157 units, while Japanese sales for the month were 22% below the previous year at 38,512 units.

From April to September, Tokyo-based peer Honda produced 1.7 million units, down 5.8% from 1.8 million the previous year. In Japan, Honda noted its first half-year production decrease in four years, with vehicle units dropping 0.6% on-year to 335,935 units from 338,175.

Honda's total exports rose 55% in the first half to 56,272 units from 36,342 on-year. However, Japanese sales declined for the first time in three years, falling 13% to 293,055 units from 331,544 the year prior.

In September, Honda saw a 3.8% rise in total production to 310,275 units from 298,845 units in September 2024, marking the first increase in worldwide production in 14 months. Japanese production was up 6.3% at 65,587 units from 61,707. Honda's total exports rose 22% in September to 7,528 units from 6,193 on-year. Japanese sales fell 6.2% to 63,754 units from 67,982 the previous year.

Separately on Monday, Honda shared plans to invest in OMC Power Private Ltd, an Indian power supply and mini-grid business, which will start offering "a leasing business" for uninterruptible power supply devices in January. The devices will use the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: portable and swappable battery, which Honda said it has been testing in northern India since 2023.

"The battery will be charged with grid electricity when available, then the charged battery will supply electricity when the grid power is unstable or down," Honda explained.

"The aim of the investment is to contribute to stable power supply utilising batteries, which is expected to expand in line with the accelerating electrification of mobility products in India," the firm added.